Disgaea: Summons of an Oracle
by Blade1986
Summary: From the Makai, we head to Ivoire, and end up dropping in on one very familiar Chroma... Contains some Disgaea 2 spoilers. Chapter 9 posted. Please remember to Read&Review.
1. Prologue

**Author's note1: **Greetings once again, ladies and gentlemen! This is your resident Oricaltos, Blade1986 speaking. Moving on from part two to part three, now. It's been a long and dangerous road so far, but there is still much distance to cover. Besides, I haven't even _begun_ to get into the more elaborate stuff. Stick around, you might actually enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, La Pucelle Tactics, Phantom Brave, or Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome. _Each of these games is © Nippon Ichi. However, I **_do_** own Saito Onago and the other weredragons that have been mentioned in my stories.**

_Italics _indicates thought  
_**Bold and italics**_ indicates a location  
_Underlined and italics_ indicates Saito's thoughts.  
**Bold **text **(Outside of any normal context)** indicates time.

* * *

**ORIGINAL CHARACTER**

* * *

**FULL NAME:** Saito Alexander Daniel Michael Nathaniel Alan Jeffrey Onago **(NOW you know why he prefers to be called Saito)  
AGE: **19,563 (Appears 19)  
**DOB:** October 13  
**HEIGHT:** 6' 1.75"  
**WEIGHT:** 145 lbs.  
**HAIR:** Colored Auburn, bordering on flames. Has a tendency to stand straight up **(ala Goku) ((Goku is © Toei Animation and FUNImation))  
EYES: **Color varies, depending on his mood. Ranges from crystal (**very light**) blue ((**excellent mood**)) to flat black ((**STAY THE FCK OUT OF MY WAY!**))  
On another note, when he is in his true form, his eyes are blue with gold centers. They also have slit pupils.  
**SPECIES:** Hybrid (Sorcerer/Angel/Kaiser Dragon/Vampire)  
**WEAPONS:** Spellbreaker (razor chain) ((**dark gray**)), Durend (Shape-shifting sword) ((**white with rainbow aura**)), claws (only when he feels like it) ((**dark** **gray**))  
**ABILITIES:** Innate pyromancy and aeromancy (control of fire and air), can also use any element (**he just needs to work on his control**): flight (YES, he does have wings), teleportation  
**POSITION:** Weapon smith ((**all**)), Keeper of the Keys/**Oricaltos** (head draconic) ((draconics)), _diralec_ (immortal) ((**all**))

* * *

**Disgaea: Summons of the Oracle  
**_Book three of the Oricaltos Cycle  
_By: Blade1986

* * *

**Prologue: A summons from beyond  
_Dark Assembly: Overlord's Castle: True Netherworld  
_Time: It has been four days since the premier of _Requiem of Shadows_**

"Well, it looks like THAT should end any debate about who is stronger!" Saito merely shook his head as he looked directly at Laharl. "You just _had_ to try and do things your way, didn't you, Overlord?" he asked, shaking his head. "You call me here as a mediator, and then you go and beat the guy up anyway. Demons," he grumbled slightly, causing a few chuckles to rise from Aramis' throat. "Hey, don't forget that you're part-demon too." The Oricaltos sadly shook his head before looking over at him. "I know, Aramis. It's the one thing that I keep on trying to forget." There was a moment of silence as the silver-haired Zombie Master looked to the Overlord, and then the three of them simultaneously cracked-up.

It had been an excellent day of work in the Dark Assembly. Several beneficial bills had been passed, including one that allowed for communications to be established with the human world. In addition, there were many other issues that had been resolved without resorting to persuasion by force. Aramis rose from his seat and stretched. "I'm going to head outside for a little while." "Don't wander too far, bro. We're going to need your help with the next bill," Etna called, and Aramis nodded before proceeding through the double-doors at the south end of the assembly hall.

* * *

_**Main Plaza: Overlord's Castle**_

The young Zombie Master wandered out of the Dark Assembly and approached Pleinair. "How are the rest of the Senators treating you?" he asked out of habit, and the young woman gave Etna's younger sibling a gentle smile before responding. "They seem to be showing me more respect these days." "I wonder why?" "Well," came a male voice from the Dimensional Gate, "it might be due to the large number of angels who have joined the Assembly." "Hmm... You **do** have a good point there, Croix," Aramis responded, a smile on his face as he extended a hand to the angel. "How are things going in Celestia?"

The brown-haired angel shrugged before shaking Aramis' outstretched hand. "Things haven't really changed. Business progresses at it's usual, agonizing pace. And speaking of business, do you know where Saito is?" Aramis nodded before beckoning Croix to follow him. "He's in the Dark Assembly right now. Why are you asking?" "Well, we got a rather strange message from the Alternate Overlord about thirty minutes ago. Apparently, something out of the ordinary appeared in the middle of the Barren Wasteland..." "and she wants me to go check it out, right?" the mage finished as he stepped outside. "It's good to see you again, Croix." He nodded at Saito before turning back towards the Dimensional Gate. "Likewise, Oricaltos. And yes, Priere wants you to check-out the anomaly." The hybrid looked directly at Aramis before issuing a mental command. _Gather my core group, and tell Laharl, Flonne, and Etna to do likewise. Why is that? I have a feeling that this is the summons that I have been waiting for. Okay. Should I send someone to find King Krichevskoy?_ Saito paused momentarily, but then shook his head. _I'll go grab him and Setsuna myself, Aramis. Now get moving. Yes sir!_

After the Zombie Master had gone, Saito turned to look at Croix. _Alert Michael that the Oracle has issued her summons. **Yes, Oricaltos. Is there anything else I can do to help?** Find Team Defender, and assemble the remaining members of La Pucelle. **Why should I do that?** I just have a funny feeling that I'm going to need all of the help I can get._ "Now get moving, Croix. We don't have all the time in the world." "I know that much!" the angel cheerfully responded as he proceeded through the Dimensional Gate. The _diralec_ slowly shook his head before following Croix. _Here we go again!_

* * *

_Ten minutes later...  
**Hall of Caresses: Veyer Castle: True Netherworld**_

"NICHOLAI!" A rather familiar yell caused the former Overlord to rise from his couch and stretch. Yawning, he turned towards the door in order to see that Rena was already up and about. "Do you know where Setsuna is?" she asked, and the elder vampire shook his head. "I have no clue where that other hybrid went." _Don't worry, Krichevskoy. I already collected both him **and** Maderas. Just making sure._ "What is is this time, Oricaltos?" Saito grinned as he looked at Laharl's parents. "I just received a summons from the Oracle of the Netherworld, and I was wondering if you would care to join me." The vampire and his human bride looked at one another for a few seconds, and then they both nodded. "Just give us a little more time to gather the others." "I was going to let you do that anyway, Nicholai. Now get moving."

* * *

_It took a good chunk of time for everyone to be located and assembled, but then they were finally on their way...  
**Throne Room: Priere Castle: Alternate Netherworld**_**  
Year: 2006 AD (**WHAT? You were expecting some other strange number?**)  
Time: Three hours after Saito departed from the Overlord's Castle**

Priere was pacing back and forth across the room. The red-haired Alternate Overlord was sick and tired of waiting for Saito to arrive. Everyone else had already appeared, but there was no sign of the Oricaltos. Marjoly was standing by the Dimensional Gate, tapping her foot impatiently. "What in the hell is taking him so long?" the witch snapped, and her question was answered rather abruptly. "Do **you** want to be the one to try and organize my affairs as Oricaltos next time?" Saito politely asked as he stepped out of the portal, followed closely by the rest of his core group. "I'm sure that I could arrange it sometime in the near future..." "No thanks," came the rather subdued reply, and Saito nodded his head before turning to look at Priere. "I thought so." Looking around and seeing so many familiar faces brought a smile to the immortal's face. "Well then, let's get moving!"

* * *

_A rather brief walk carried them to the site of the anomaly, and not even Laharl was prepared for the sight that greeted his eyes...  
**Barren Wastelands: Alternate Netherworld**_

The Oricaltos climbed to the top of the ridge before looking down, and what he saw made Saito smile as he beckoned for the other leaders to join him. Laharl could not keep his jaw from dropping in amazement as he stared down onto the plain below. Turning to the _diralec_ for clarification, the Overlord asked his question. "What _is_ that thing?" "_That_, Overlord, is called a 'Makai Gate'. It will be our method of transportation for the time being." The other leaders had not taken their eyes from the foreign device, and so none of them noticed the young woman who was approaching. However, there were two **obvious** exceptions to the rule: Saito Onago, and Laharl Krichevskoy. The Overlord tilted his head to one side as he studied the woman. She wore her long pink hair down, with a ribbon tied over the right side of her head. With bright red eyes and slightly pointed ears, it was easy to tell that she was a demon. _I can practically FEEL the mana radiating from her. No kidding! I believe that she is the Makai version of one of our mages. You're probably right,_ Laharl responded before looking down as the woman curtsied. She then looked directly at Saito. "I take it that you are the Oricaltos, sir?" she asked rather timidly, and the _diralec_ openly laughed once before responding. "That is correct. I take it that Pram sent you, correct?" he asked, and the witch nodded. "She wishes to speak with you as soon as possible, so I was told to bring you directly to her."

Saito nodded once in agreement before turning away and giving a piercing whistle. Instantly, the core groups snapped to attention, and the Oricaltos grinned. "It is time that we once more head into the unknown. Are all of you prepared?" "**_YES SIR!_**" came the unanimous response, and Saito turned back to the witch. "Lead on, my friend. It's best if we do not keep the Oracle waiting." "I wholeheartedly agree with you, sir," the young woman responded as she approached the Makai Gate once again. It resembled a cylinder about Saito's height, and was rimmed with metal slats. They didn't all match-up, so there were gaps surrounding the core. A small blue sphere topped the Gate, waiting to be activated. The witch stopped short of the Gate before turning to the weredragon once more. "Do you need any help operating this?" "No. I just need the destination." At this, the messenger smiled before simply stating one word. "Home." Saito nodded before looking back at the others behind him. "Hold on, people. This is going to be one heck of a trip!" Everyone grabbed hold of the person closest to them, forming a living chain that stretched from Saito, who was standing at the very center of the circle, all the way out to Michael Lamington, resting on the extreme outer edge. The mage reached out and planted his right hand on the sphere as he intoned the ritual phrase. "The Makai Gate is now active." "_Destination?_" came a rather pleasant-sounding voice, and Saito merely replied, "**_Home._**" There was a brilliant flash of blue-white light, and by the time it had vanished, so had the Oricaltos and his allies.

* * *

**Author's note2:** _And they're off!_ Wow, that was cheesy. Anyway, Saito, Laharl, and the rest are now on their way. What sort of surprises await them when they arrive? Find out in my next chapter, **Welcome to the Makai**. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you. 


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to the Makai

**Disclaimer:** See the prologue.  
**Extraneous: **Ditto.

**Author's note1:** CRUD! I knew that I forgot about a game, but I just wasn't sure which one. **_Disgaea2: Cursed Memories _is © Nippon Ichi.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Welcome to the Makai**  
_Previously on __Summons of the Oracle:_

It has been a little under a week since the premier of Saito's _Requiem of Shadows_. Things are going rather smoothly in the Netherworld when the Oricaltos received an interesting piece of news from the Alternate Overlord. Apparently, there was some sort of anomaly that just popped-up in Priere's backyard, but Saito had a premonition that this was no fluke. After assembling his allies once more, the Oricaltos proceeded to the location, where he found a Makai Gate and a messenger from Pram. After the young witch had correctly identified him, she stated that the Oracle had an urgent need to speak with him. Saito agreed to come-along, and, soon enough, they were all on their way.

* * *

**_Makai Kingdom: Zetta's Netherworld_  
Year: 6580 AD  
****Time: Three minutes after Saito activated the Gate in the Barren Wastelands**

A tiny ray of light descended from the sky, hitting the sphere on top of the Makai Gate and gradually filling it, much like water being poured into a pitcher. When the sphere finished filling, there was a brilliant flash of blue-white light, and when **that** had vanished, Saito removed his hand from the sphere. "We're here," was all he said, and it was all that he really needed to say. The landscape had changed dramatically, and the leaders quickly realized that they weren't in **their** Netherworld anymore. The young witch who had been sent as a messenger swiftly detached herself from the living chain and smiled as she approached Saito. "Welcome to the Makai Kingdom, Oricaltos. Now, if you would be so kind as to follow me, I will take you directly to the Orac..." She trailed-off when the mage raised a hand. "I can already see where she is." "What are you talking about, Saito? Where's Pram?" "Where do _you_ think, Laharl?" the Oricaltos responded as he gestured towards a vaguely familiar building. "...Point taken, Saito," the Overlord sighed as he recognized the design of the building. The structure that Saito had pointed-out bore a stunning resemblance to Draconia's Hall of Prophecy.

The mage then turned and gazed at the group assembled behind him. "Team leaders, come with me. As for the rest of you, take a break and enjoy the weather." After Laharl and the others had formed-up behind him, the mage spun on his heels and began to walk towards the hall. About halfway there, he paused and looked into the sky. His brow furrowed for a moment, but then he suddenly dove to his right, just in time to avoid a rather _huge_ purple lightning bolt. "Looks like **someone** is out to get you," Priere commented, giggling lightly. However, the woman fell silent once she saw that pissed-off look on Saito's face. His eyes were navy blue, and they were darkening by the second. "All right. _Who threw that?_" he rumbled, but the only response he got was laughter coming from the roof of the Hall. "What? Are you afraid of a little lightning or something?" the figure called, turquoise eyes glittering merrily. He raised his hands to cast another _Omega Thunder_, but a rather angry yell caused him to pause. His face went as white as a sheet, and he began sweating profusely.

"**_ALEXANDER!_**" _EEP!_ "Yes, Pram?" "**What** in the hell do you think you're doing by attacking my guests?" The legendary God of Destruction (G.O.D. for short) swallowed rather hard before running a hand through hair the color of his eyes. "Nothing..." "Well then, get your lazy behind inside **this instant!**" Alexander sighed aloud before turning away from the edge of the roof. "Yes, Oracle." Saito grinned to himself before mentally calling-out. _Thank you, Pram. _**_You're VERY welcome, Saito. Why don't you guys come on in?_** The Oricaltos laughed aloud before cheerfully responding. _That's what we were planning on doing._ With that said, Saito led the leaders in through the main doors.

* * *

**_Pram's Study: Hall of Prophecy: Makai Kingdom_**

_SMACK!_ "**OUCH!** What was that for?" Alexander whined as he rubbed the back of his head, looking innocently at the fuming Oracle. "**That** was for disobeying a direct order that I gave you, for your **own** good," Pram snarled, her blood-red eyes glittering dangerously. "I don't want you to be killed-off by the Oricaltos just yet!" The Overlord took a moment to adjust his scarf before sneering at the young Oracle of the Netherworld. "And what makes **you** think that he is capable of killing me?" "You'd be surprised by the number of reasons she could give you, _God of Destruction_," a new voice called from the doorway. Pram rose to her feet, smiling, and Alexander spun around, preparing to cast another _Omega Thunder_. Then he froze in his tracks, eyes growing impossibly wide as he found himself staring at an **incredibly** pissed-off hybrid.

The first thing that Alexander noticed was that the man's hair was standing nearly straight up. The color was auburn, bordering on flames. The next feature that the G.O.D. took notice of was the man's eyes. These caused him to freeze, not because they were narrowed to slits, but because of their color and pupil shape. The mage's eyes had golden centers, surrounded by a ring of jet-black. But what sent chills up and down Alexander's spine was that the man had _slit_ pupils rather than round ones, a trademark of the draconic race of legend. After that, Alexander's eyes were drawn to Saito's wings. They were those of a full-fledged _Kaiser_: fully scaled, jet-black on the outside, metallic gold on the inside. Stretched to their fullest extent, the wingspan was exactly 6'2". He was dressed in black from head-to-foot, with bare arms and a sword hanging from his left hip. Wrapped around his right arm was a dark gray chain, which had the appearance of being razor-edged. At his throat rested a dragon's orb pendant, a pendant resembling the _Overlord's Wrath_, and a single key. The rest of the keys were on a ring on his belt, but they refused to move, even when he did. A single ring rested on the man's right hand, or _claw_, to be more precise. Both hands had taken on a color and texture reminiscent of darkened steel, and Alexander knew that they were unbreakable. Finally, Alexander caught a glimpse of a fairly well-muscled tail, jet-black in color.

"I take it that _you_ are the one who launched that spell at me, correct?" Saito snarled at the man standing before him. With turquoise-colored eyes and hair, it was always easy to spot him in a crowd. **That**, and the fact that he wore pants which resembled the skin of a yellow tiger. Alexander started for a second, but then his face twisted into a snarl. "Yes, I'm the one who attacked you. After all, right now you're just a speed bump on the road to my ultimate goal." The hybrid raised an eyebrow as he looked over at Pram. _What in the hell is he talking about? _**_Alexander has a grudge against Zetta. They were always fighting, but each and every single time they dueled, it ended in a draw, at least from his point-of-view._**_In other words, Alexander was just being a sore loser. __**Yup. So, recently he came-up with this crazy notion that if he absorbs the powers of a few of the other Overlords,** then he will be able to finally beat Zetta,_ Saito finished. **_Precisely._**

The Oricaltos sighed aloud before sadly shaking his head. "If you think that Zetta is _more_ powerful than me, then you've got another thing coming." "**Prove it.**" "Meet me on the plains southwest of here in one hour, and I most certainly _will_. Feel free to bring-along as many vassals as you want. After all, it won't really matter in the end." Alexander shrugged casually before smiling at the mage. "Deal." Pram reluctantly shook her head at the Overlord's horrendous blunder. "You really **do** have a death-wish, don't you? Going against Saito is suicidal, and even Baal is smart enough to have learned that lesson." Before Alexander could snap-off a rather sharp comment, the door behind the leaders opened once again.

"Am I interrupting something, Pram?" a fairly shy, female voice called from the doorway. Saito turned and inclined his head before motioning for the other leaders to clear a path. "Not really. She was just explaining to **that** idiot," he said, jerking his thumb in Alexander's direction, "that facing me is suicidal, and even Baal knows it." "She's right, too," the young woman agreed, turning to look at Alexander. The G.O.D. could not keep his jaw from dropping in shock and astonishment. "And how in the hell do **you** know that, Trenia?" She was about to answer when Saito raised a hand. "Maybe it's because she isn't as clueless as most believe her to be. Is that accurate enough, spirit of the _Sacred Tome_?" Trenia giggled before tossing her long turquoise hair from side to side. "You nailed it, Oricaltos."

* * *

**Author's note2:** Sorry to abruptly stop the story here. I just need to explain something for those who have never played _Makai Kingdom._ The _Sacred Tome_ is a collection of prophecies, histories, and legends. It **also** happens to be the embodiment of Zetta's Netherworld. When the Overlord burned the book in a fit of rage, he accidentally began the destruction of his own plane of existence. In order to stop the destruction of his home, Zetta sacrificed his corporeal body in order to bind his soul, and thus, his existence, to the _Tome_. However, this process had an unknown side-effect. You see, the _Sacred Tome_ already **had** a soul, but this was forced-out as a result of the ignorant Overlord's actions. As is the way of the universe, this lost soul was given a body, and thus, Trenia came into existence. _Back to the fic!_

* * *

"I have a request for you, Master Saito," Trenia stated rather demurely, her turquoise eyes downcast. "What is it, Trenia? If it has anything to do with keeping Zetta in the _Tome_, then I'm afraid that I can't help you." "I know that," the young woman sighed, "but I do **not** want to be bound to that book again!" The _diralec_ rolled his eyes before reaching over and gently patting Trenia on the head. "I promise that you won't be forced back into the _Tome_ again." "**REALLY?**" the young woman exclaimed, raising tear-filled eyes to glimpse the genuine smile on Saito's face. "I swear it upon my title as Oricaltos. Now, if you don't mind, Alexander and I need to settle the debate as to how powerful I **really** am." Trenia nodded, and then The mage left the Hall, heading southwest.

* * *

_Forty-five minutes later...  
**Following Alexander: Southern Plains: Makai Kingdom**_

The God of Destruction snickered gleefully as he looked-out over the massive force he had managed to assemble. _Thank you, Zetta,_ he thought, shaking his head in sadistic glee. His rival had allowed him to utilize **his** forces, massively increasing Alexander's destructive potential. Spotting one particular unit near the front, he smiled wickedly before calling to his female commander. "Send the new unit in first, Solana, and then follow with the main body of the army." "It shall be done, sir," the blonde-haired, red-eyed woman responded before signaling to her troops. It was time to move-out.

At the same time, Saito received a rather disturbing piece of news from Laharl. _SAITO! I have some really bad news for you. __What is it, Overlord? Well, I just checked on the majority of our forces, and our clerics are gone._ There was a moment of silence, just before Saito exploded. _WHAT? HOW? I have no clue, but... _**_it gets even worse_**, another voice interrupted Laharl's. _HEY! Don't interrupt me! _**_SORRY, Overlord,_** Pram snarled, the sarcasm painfully clear in her mental "voice", **_but I think that my words take precedence over yours._**_ Why you little... __LAHARL DANIEL KRICHEVSKOY! Allow me to reiterate the first thing you should learn about surviving in the Makai: **NEVER **piss-off the Oracle. ...Sorry, Saito. I just got carried-away. It won't happen again. Good..._ There was a momentary pause, but then Saito began once more. _You were saying, Oracle? _**_Alexander somehow brainwashed them, and they will be the first unit to arrive._**_...Thanks, Pram. I had a bad feeling that he was going to try something like this, and have already taken appropriate measures. __**...I just hope that they work.**_ _...So do I._

The Oricaltos broke-off his mental connection with the Oracle as he opened his eyes. Sure enough, the clerics were making a beeline straight towards him. Following behind, cloaked in a massive cloud of dust, was the majority of Alexander's forces. Saito allowed himself a grim smile of satisfaction as he spread his wings and glided backwards, drawing the clerics further away from the pursuing army. He needed to isolate them in order to get them back to normal, and Saito knew that he had only one chance to get it right.

Maria was at the head of the group, her light footsteps leaving no trace of her passage as she followed the trail left by Saito. With a spear in her hands and a specially designed earpiece that made her unreasonable, the young Dimensional Gatekeeper was only interested in following her orders and pleasing Alexander. Therefore, when she abruptly lost the mage's trail in the tall grasses, she nearly panicked. But then, as if Fate were smiling down upon her, she found the trail again. A soft smile crossed her face as she silently motioned for the other clerics to follow her, not knowing that she was running into an elaborate trap set by the Oricaltos. But once she lost sight of the rest of the army, her rational thought-process slowly started again, causing her to doubt the orders she had received. It was then that Saito made his move, striking with lethal efficiency.

At first, Maria thought she was just hearing voices in her head. However, one in particular seemed to stand-out. She couldn't place it, but she had heard this voice before. _You have forgotten, correct? Wha...? What are you talking about?_ There was a brief moment of silence, but then the voice returned. _I guess you really have forgotten. Very well. I'm not going to enjoy doing this, but you left me with no choice. WHAT? What have I forgotten that was so important? EVERYTHING,_ the voice rumbled, and then the images came. The cleric gasped in shock and dropped to her knees, closing her eyes and clutching her head, moaning as the mental anguish seemed to increase. All around her, she could hear that the other clerics were going through the same thing. _Make it stop! Please, I'm begging you,_ she wailed at her assailant. However, his advice to her was rather unorthodox. _Remove your earpiece. What? But why? You want the images to stop, correct? ...Yes. Then don't ask questions and do it!_

The cleric reached-up and removed her earpiece. Immediately, her head cleared, and she realized what had been done to her at the hands of Alexander. Her crystal-blue eyes shot open and lifted to those of the Oricaltos. Maria was horrified. "What...happened to all of us?" "You fell under the influence of the God of Destruction, and were under orders to eliminate me." The young woman drew in a sharp breath, her eyes beginning to well with tears. "I'm...so sorry...Master Saito," she choked out, but the _diralec_ merely shook his head. "It's okay, Maria. You're back to normal now. However," he added with a grin, causing Maria's eyes to dry instantly, "there **is** something that you can help me with..." Saito's cleric smiled at him, her eyes now glittering with barely restrained glee. "As long as it involves getting-back at Alexander, then count me in!" "Now **that's** the Maria that I know!" Saito chortled as he began to outline his plans.

_Fifteen minutes later..._

"Master Alexander, the is Commander Solana." "Go ahead." "We lost the first unit." "Hmmm..." _Damn. He's smarter than I thought._ "Fan out and try to locate them." "Yes sir." _Click!_ Alexander put his radio down and was looking towards the south when he heard several distressed yells coming over the channels. "DAMMIT!" "AMBUSH!" "How is it possible...?" "What in the hell...? Solana! Give me an update, **now**!" "We've been ambushed, sir." "I know that, but by who?" "Who do you think, **Asshat**?" the mage snarled over the frequency, using the nickname that Alexander hated above all others. "Your forces were being arrogant and stupidly ignorant, so I exploited the flaws in their defenses. Here's the current situation: As of this moment, I am leading a group composed solely of ten clerics, and we just wiped-out nearly half of your army." "That's impossible!" "**Nothing** is impossible. I thought you would have learned that by now. But don't worry too much. After all, I **am** just getting started!" _Click! _**_CRUNCH!_** "Dammit..."

* * *

_Twenty minutes later, Alexander himself fell prey to the Oricaltos, thus ending any debate as to who was stronger.  
**Pram's Study: Hall of Prophecy: Makai Kingdom**_

_Poke, poke._ "**OUCH!** Will you cut that out, Trenia? It really hurts." "Sorry, Alexander, but please remember that you brought this upon yourself." "Quit reminding me," the Overlord grumbled as he allowed the Oracle and the spirit of the _Tome_ to bind his wounds. Looking over at Saito, Pram gently smiled, and was about to speak when a voice rose from her desk. "Congratulations. You passed not only Alexander's test, but **mine** as well." Saito considered this for a minute before shrugging. "I was wondering how Alexander was able to create such a massive force in such a short period of time. Still, it was just an exercise for me, Zetta." "Point taken," the confined Overlord conceded, and Nicholai could only shake his head. "There are other introductions to be made..." _but we don't have the time right now. __Ah, I was wondering when you would arrive, Babylon. How are you feeling? Never better, Oricaltos. However, I don't have time for pleasant formalities. Agreed. What's the problem, and where is it? It's in Veldime, but there's a twist: it is an alternate timeline. OOOH! I always wanted to try and straighten one of those out! But who do I get to bring? The leaders, your core group, Pram, and Zetta are all you need. Thanks._

"Do you have any other details, serpentine Overlord?" _Only that many believe that __you are just a myth, Oricaltos._ "That works for me," the mage said as he turned to address the others. "Okay people, listen-up: Our next experience is going to be a rather strange one." "What do you mean by 'strange', Saito?" Jennifer asked, and the others looked at him for clarification. "We are going into an alternate timeline. What **that** means is that you may encounter yourselves." "What about you, Saito?" Alouette asked, but the hybrid shook his head. "Throughout all of time and space, there is only **one** Oricaltos. Are all of you ready to go?" "We are prepared," Pram responded, passing-around several hooded robes. Once they were all robed, everyone except for Saito raised their hoods, and the Oricaltos nodded his approval before turning towards the exit. "Let's go!"

* * *

**Author's note3:** Into the Makai, and then back out again. From Veldime back to the Makai, and then into the... Oops, kinda lost my train of thought there. Anyway, this is just a warning that the next chapter will contain some plot spoilers for _Disgaea 2_. If you don't want to know, then wait for Chapter 3. Either that, or if you don't mind, check out what _Wikipedia_ has to say. 

Crossing into alternate timelines can be fun, but it is also **very** dangerous. What sort of surprises await Saito and his allies once they arrive? Is this all some sort of joke? Or is something terribly wrong? Find out in my next chapter, **Blast from the Past, Visions of a Future**. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 2: Blast From the Past, Visions

**Disclaimer:** See the prologue  
**Extraneous:** Ditto

**_WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!_ The following chapter contains a few plot spoilers from _Disgaea 2. _If you don't mind, then read-on. If you DO, then hit the little arrow button to the right of the chapter title, near the top of your screen. You won't miss much, except for a rather amusing battle. _WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!_**

* * *

_After arriving in the Makai,  
but before all could be introduced,  
the Oricaltos once more departed.  
His destination was Veldime:  
another location in an alternate timeline.  
His task: to convince the Overlord,  
along with the entire populace,  
that the Oricaltos did exist...  
**-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines CXXXVII-CXLIV**_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Blast from the Past, Visions of a Future**  
_What happened before:_

Shortly after their arrival in the Makai, Saito asked the leaders to accompany him to see the Oracle. However, one obstacle stood in their way: Alexander, the God of Destruction. He threw an _Omega Thunder_ in Saito's direction before Pram realized what was going on. Her angry yell caused the Overlord to beat a hasty retreat, and allowed the mage and his allies passage into the Hall of Prophecy. Once they had reached Pram's study, Alexander once again confronted Saito, calling him a mere "speed bump". After the Oracle had finished clarifying that Alexander was still sore at Zetta and wanted to get-even, Saito laughed at the turquoise-eyed man before telling him, "If you think that Zetta is _more_ powerful than me, then you've got another thing coming." The God of Destruction was unimpressed, and he demanded that the _diralec_ back his claim. In return, the mage challenged Alexander to a fight, and even encouraged him to bring along as many vassals as he wanted, since it wouldn't matter in the end. Alexander agreed.

Before the two duelists could depart, another special young woman arrived. **This** was Trenia, a rather slender turquoise-haired young lady who happened to be the true soul of the _Sacred Tome_. She requested that the Oricaltos find a way to return Zetta to his body, **without** forcing her back into the _Tome_. Saito willingly agreed to honor her request before walking out of the room and heading southwest. He had a battle to win.

Forty-five minutes later, Alexander (with just a **little** help from Zetta) had assembled a sizable force. Unfortunately, he _also_ provoked Saito's wrath by brainwashing all of the clerics who had journeyed from the Netherworld with him. It took fifteen agonizingly painful minutes, but Saito was able to override the control devices by utilizing some painful mental images to appeal to his _own_ cleric's rational side. To say the least, Maria (Saito's cleric) was horrified by her own actions, and she quickly restored the rest of her fellows to sanity before agreeing to aid Saito in combat. Twenty minutes later, Alexander's forces were in shambles, and _he_ had been flattened by the Oricaltos, breaking two ribs and several other bones in the process.

While Pram and Trenia were busy tending to the foolish Overlord's injuries, Zetta offered his congratulations to the mage. Too soon, however, the group was interrupted by the great serpentine Overlord, Babylon. Something was wrong in an alternate timeline, but only Saito could be the one to fix it. After explaining the possibility of the other leaders encountering themselves (and confirming that **he** had no double in any time period), the _diralec_ led the way into the portal. However, let's now go and see _exactly_ what the situation is...

* * *

_**Dark Assembly: Adell's Castle: Veldime**_**  
Time: Ten minutes before the arrival of the Oricaltos**

"ORDER!" the crimson-haired man at the podium roared, and the senators gradually fell silent. "That's better. Now, where was I?" "You were trying to convince **us** that this so-called 'Oricaltos' actually exists!" one of the Chaos Soldiers yelled from the upper gallery, and Adell slowly shook his head. **(SPOILER WARNING!)** It had been several long years since he had learned about his demonic heritage, and defeated the false Overlord Zenon. He also learned that the **real** Zenon, who had grown tired of the endless bickering, had transmigrated into a female body, and was masquerading as the false Overlord's daughter. Rozalin (as she was now called) had saved Adell's life numerous times, and the two fell in love, without caring for their near-brushes with disaster. **(END SPOILER)** In the end, the two were married, and they had been living together happily for several years. As she was back during the fiercest fighting, Rozalin remained her husband's support pillar on even the roughest of days.

"Just ignore that idiot, Adell. He has nothing better to do than to bother us," the blonde-haired, red-eyed woman whispered, and the Overlord smiled briefly before running his hands through his slightly messy hair. Crystal-blue eyes glittered dangerously as he returned his wife's whisper. "I've been trying for the past several days, but Saul just refuses to shut his trap! I may be forced to teach him a rather painful lesson..." He trailed-off ominously, his eyes already scanning the rows of seats, looking for one particular woman. "Does anyone else have an opinion on this matter?" he called, and a rather calm voice answered from his left. "If he existed, then there would be evidence in the _Sacred Tome,_" the young woman stated rather easily, running slender fingers through her long, snow-white hair. "I have been searching for quite a while, and yet have located nothing concrete." "Thank you, Oracle," Adell sighed, the resignation clear in his voice. _Damn you, Saul. Once again I've been outsmarted by that former vassal of Krichevskoy._ He was about to turn and exit the assembly when another voice rose from the main floor. It was a voice that Adell had never before heard in his life, but the tone of authority was unmistakable. He was immediately certain as to exactly **what** the speaker was.

"Did you try looking in the prophecies, Oracle?" a rather casual voice called from the center of the floor. Pram looked down, rather surprised to see a slender young man staring-up at her. He was surrounded by nearly thirty robed figures, and his right hand was easily resting on the Makai Gate. The red-eyed, white-winged Oracle of the Netherworld sputtered for a few moments, and then shrugged. "I didn't bother, since I thought that there would be no useful information there." Saito narrowed his eyes, allowing his draconic pupils to become visible. "Then **do it**," he rumbled, and Veldime's version of Pram quickly pawed through the book, frantically scanning the pages. "Where _is_ it?" she muttered, and was given quite a shock when someone mentally answered. _You might want to start at page 751. **What in the...? How do YOU know?** Just trust me, okay? **...Okay, but how could you be so certain?** I just KNOW these things. **But how?** _She heard a sigh, and then came the most shocking twist of all. _Because you and I are the EXACT same person, young lady,_ Pram called, slightly exasperated, at the Oracle of Veldime.

The woman froze in her seat, nearly dropping the book. "Be careful," it hissed at her, and the Oracle nervously jumped. "Sorry about that, Zetta. It's jut that I am a little confused as to how this could be happening." _Have you ever heard of alternate timelines, young lady? **EEP! Don't do that!** I'm sorry, but you haven't answered my question yet. **Oh. Sorry about that, and yes, I have hear of alternate timelines. But what does that have to do with anything?** It has EVERYTHING to do with the current situation. You see, we came from another timeline. ...Hmm. Now it makes perfect sense,_ another voice interjected, causing Saito to pause for a moment. It was a male voice, full of authority. However, the fact that Saito had been unable to sense that he was listening was a little worrisome. _HUH? I could have sworn that this was a private conversation! Is it really **my** fault that you're broadcasting? ...Good point, man. Why, thank you. Do you mind if I ask you a question? Why should I? Go right ahead. How long have you been listening to us? Long enough. Now, please forgive my manners, but exactly WHO are you? I could ask you the same thing, but that would be rather rude without answering first. I am known by many titles, but chief among them are "Oricaltos" and "King of Dragons". My full name is Saito Alexander Daniel Michael Nathaniel Alan Jeffrey Onago, but for the sake of my own sanity, PLEASE just call me Saito! _The man on the other end laughed once. _That works for me! My name is Adell Kailadus, and I am the Overlord here. Are you the red-haired man at the podium? Yup, that's me! I'm the guy with his hand on the Makai Gate. OH. That explains it. Explains WHAT? Never mind..._

Saito nodded at Adell, but then his gaze began to wander the assembly hall. He was looking for one particular demon among the senators. **However**, the demon spotted him first, and sneered at the hybrid. "Be gone, you fool! You have absolutely _no_ authority here." "Who says that besides _you_, Chaos Soldier?" the Overlord of Veldime retorted, causing Saul to fall silent. He gathered his thoughts for a few moments, and was about to spew a rather vile comment when the Oracle rose from her seat, clutching the _Tome _to her chest. "Do I have leave to speak, Overlord?" "Go right ahead, Pram. What did you find in the _Tome_?" The female Overlord cleared her throat before speaking once more. "After a thorough search, I was able to conclude that there is nothing in here about the Oricaltos..." Saul abruptly rose to his feet, laughing hysterically. "Did you hear **that**, Saito? There's nothing in ther..." He fell silent when he realized that everyone in the Dark Assembly was giving him rather strange looks. **That**, and the Oracle was impatiently tapping her right foot. "I was **not** finished, Saul. Now sit down, and keep that big mouth of yours shut!" The orange-haired Chaos Soldier fell silent and did as he was told. Pram stared at him for a second longer, and then turned back to Adell. "Please restart from the beginning, Oracle." "Yes, sir. As I was saying, before being so **rudely** interrupted, was that there is nothing in the _Tome_ about the Oricaltos, **except **for an entire **prophecy**." There was momentary silence, and then Saul promptly exploded. "_WHAT? _That's impossible!" The _diralec_ laughed aloud before calling-out in reply. "No, you idiot. It's called the Prophecy di luce e di ombre. Get it right, man!" This comment caused nearly half of the senators to crack-up. Once all of the laughter had died down, several of the more supportive senators rose to their feet, applauding the bold actions of the Oricaltos.

The applause ground on Saul's nerves until the former Divine Majin finally snapped. Turning away from the floor in disgust, he pulled-out his cell phone and placed a call. "This is the Dark Court. May I ask who is calling?" "This is Saul." "Oh, hello again Senator! How may I be of assistance?" "I need you to send a particular team to abduct three members of Saito's entourage." There was a brief pause on the other end of the connection. "Did you just say _Saito_? As in the _Oricaltos_ Saito?" "**Yes!** Is there a problem with my orders?" "Nooo..." "GOOD. Have them here in twenty minutes." "We'll do our best, sir. Have a pleasant session in the Dark Assembly!" _Click!_ The Chaos Soldier closed his phone with a smile. _Twenty minutes. That's how much time Saito and his friends have left before everything goes straight to Hell..._

* * *

_**Back on the floor:**_

Adell was in the process of introducing his wife to Saito when a black-haired young woman sprinted into the room. "Adell! We have a **major** problem..." "What is it, Yukimaru?" he asked, and the _kunoichi_ glanced at Saito before answering. "Saul summoned an abduction team." "What do you mean by that?" Saito asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow, and Yukimaru stared at him, slightly startled. "You **don't** know what an abduction team is?" "No." "Have you been living under a _rock_ for the past twelve years?" "No. It's just that I'm not from around here," he snarled, resentment glittering in his eyes. "Oh," the blue-eyed young woman exclaimed lightly, lightly running her hands through her waist-length hair. "I'm sorry for being so rude." The Oricaltos shook his head and smiled. "That's okay. You had no idea. Now, do you mind explaining?" "Nope! Not at all. It's a group of people that are specially trained to kidnap high-profile targets in public places." Saito nodded in understanding, and then Yukimaru turned back to Adell, her eyes creased with worry. "Adell, he summoned **them**," she stated, and the Overlord swore under his breath. _DAMN HIM! Why did he have to call **them**? Uh, who are you talking about?_ Adell sighed once before explaining. _We know **them** as "Team Netherworld". It consists of several people that I'm certain that you are familiar with. Such as? Laharl, Etna, Flonne, Marjoly, Priere, and the Prinny Squad,_ Saito finished with a curse. "It looks like some of my allies will be facing _themselves_ sooner than I anticipated."

Adell nodded in agreement before looking worriedly towards the ceiling. "I _think_ they just arrived," he commented before covering his ears as a loud explosion blew-out part of the roof. Saito narrowed his eyes as the figures dropped into the room. _Laharl, prepare yourself, and tell the others to do likewise. Yes sir. Permission to engage? Granted, _the Oricaltos called, as he shifted towards his left, preparing to defend Pram. _Knock them out._ "With absolute pleasure," the young Overlord responded as he stretched his wings under his scarf. He lifted from the floor, scanning the faces of the descending figures, hoping to find a worthy opponent: himself. It didn't take long to notice that the leader of the group had blue hair, and Laharl kicked-off the ground, his right hand already starting to blow a brilliant red. He grinned as the alternate Laharl's eyes grew wide, just before the first blow landed. "_Blazing Knuckle!_"

_What in the name of the Netherworld...?_ Each of the alternate versions of Laharl, Etna, and Flonne were older and taller than their contemporaries. However, that did **not** mean that they were more powerful, and Saito's allies were determined to prove it. The alternate Etna could only shake her head when faced with her counterpart. _I can't believe that I was flat back then,_ she thought as she drew her spear. "Ready to lose, Flatty?" she mockingly called, and the other Etna's eyes narrowed to blood-red slits. "**No one** calls me flat and gets away with it!" she snarled, not even bothering to draw her spear as she conjured a fireball in her right hand. She glared at her alternate self, and the older woman laughed. "I'll call you whatever I want, Fla.." "_Hellfire!_" the younger one yelled, launching the multi-fireball spread at her counterpart before drawing her spear. The older Etna dove away, just barely dodging. _That's impossible! How is she capable of doing that? By using a Bullet Soul. What the...? Allow me to explain. Bullet Souls were discovered in 2035 by a young man going by the name of Soma Cruz. Wait a second. Did you just say "Cruz"? Yes. As in **the** Lord of Chaos? Yes... **You** actually know about him? About him? Sweetheart, let me tell you something. I personally **know** him. But why does it matter to you? I heard stories about the "War of 1666", and was wondering if they were true._ Saito shook his head and smiled. _I can tell you from personal experience that those events DID in fact occur. Oh **really**? Then what were the words that Soma Cruz spoke after killing Shaft?_ "'_In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti:_ Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Amen,'" the weredragon called, causing the older Etna to stop and stare directly at him. "You really **are** the Oricaltos." "Naturally," he responded with a grin.

His eyes drifted towards the main group, but then the mage frowned. _Something_ was amiss, but he couldn't clearly see what was wrong. He counted the number of people still on the floor, and then it dawned on him: three were missing. Saito's eyes narrowed terribly as he swept his gaze around the Assembly, finally managing to locate the Prinny Squad before they could make their escape. Among the zombie penguins were three prone, robed figures, and as the Prinny Squad vanished, the _diralec_ swore that Saul would pay _dearly_ for taking three of his group members from him. The mage's eyes then set-about, wandering the remaining duels, hardening as he thought about **what** he would be doing to the Chaos Soldier who was stupid enough to defy him.

Priere was dueling with her alternate self, and, with a little help from Culotte, she was winning the uphill battle. Marjoly and **her** counterpart, on the other hand, were busy flinging spells at one another, hoping to get lucky. Neither was having much success, and the rebounding spells kept many of the senators on their toes. Aramis was trying to help his older sister, while the two Fallen Angels were busy having a discussion with the Seraph about women's role in the Catholic Church. _You can never remove the angel from the Fallen Angels, right Michael? You bet,_ the Seraph responded, prompting Saito to shake his head and smile. Meanwhile, Laharl was engaged in an all-out brawl with his alternate self, and the Oricaltos chuckled upon seeing _that_ one. His grin grew even wider when the smaller Overlord shot into the air, hovering over his opponent.

"If you're so confident, then show everyone something that **I** dare not reveal," the older Laharl snarled at his counterpart, the glee evident on his face. In that moment, the Overlord realized what he was being challenged to reveal, and he smiled at his alternate self before leaning forward. "I am **not** afraid," he whispered before kicking his counterpart in the stomach. The older _dhamphir_ doubled-over in pain while the younger one shot into the air. He then paused, hovering over his opponent before looking directly at Saito. The next few actions and words were deliberate, and the Oricaltos grinned, suddenly realizing what Laharl was doing and why. "Do you mind holding this for me, _diralec_?" the young Overlord asked as he unwrapped the scarf from around his neck before tossing it in the mage's general direction. "Not at all, Overlord," Saito replied with a smile as he caught the long piece of red fabric in his right hand.

The second that Laharl's scarf left his throat, every single eye in the Dark Assembly was fixed on him. All of the women in the room (with the lone exception of those who accompanied Saito) gasped at the spectacle. There had been many rumors about whether or not Laharl was a full demon, and the answer came as quite a shock to many. He was _not_, and his wings proved it. They were pitch-black, a sign of exactly how powerful he was, but no one really noticed that. All that they saw was overshadowed by one simple fact: Laharl's wings bore feathers. Feathered wings were practically **unheard** of in the Netherworld, unless the bearer was only half-demon, which was rare. Still, as long as every eye remained on Laharl, the Oricaltos did a quick check as to who was still present. _Damn Saul, and damn the Prinny Squad as well! What is it, Saito? Pram is gone. WHAT? She's not the only one, either. Both Maria and Senrael are also missing. **That sucks, man.** You have NO idea, Adell. Um, an introduction would be more helpful. **Sorry about that. My name is Adell.** I take it that you're the Overlord here? **Yes.** Do you have any idea as to where they were taken? **I have a hunch, but nothing concrete yet. **Then get to work! **Yes, Saito.**_

The Flonne from Veldime looked from the hovering Laharl to the grounded one, and then asked her question. "What about _your_ wings, Laharl?" The older _dhamphir_ looked away in shame. "They're still stunted." "But why?" "Because he never used them as much as **I** did," the hovering Overlord responded, earning a glower from his counterpart. "I'm gonna wipe the floor with you!" the older Laharl snapped as he prepared to leap into the air. The airborne one merely swept his wings back, ready to counter. Just as his opponent left the floor, Laharl struck. "_Wing Shards!_" he yelled, sweeping his wings forward and watching in satisfaction as the needle-sharp projectiles shot downwards. However, he was disappointed when the six-foot tall version of himself made it through the barrage unscathed, his weapon aimed at the young Overlord's head. The _dhamphir_ drew his sword and blocked the thrust before he swung at his adversary's throat. The elder Laharl blocked, and the brawl restarted where it had left-off.

* * *

Kurtis was relaxing in the center of the room when he noticed something that caused him to freeze. A chartreuse-colored Prinny had just entered the Dark Assembly, closely followed by a tall man with waist-length black hair. The Prinny gazed around, but then his eyes settled on the scientist. He raised a flipper, causing the other man to fall-back. "The android is mine," he snarled, and Kurtis narrowed his eyes. "Who says that I'm an android besides _you_, Kurtis?" the man snarled in response before drawing _Valmanway_ and spreading his wings. The Prinny glowered slightly at this new development before shifting to his left and motioning his companion forward once again. "Deal with him, Fubuki. We will see whether he's telling the truth or not." "With pleasure, Kurtis," the Ninja Master responded, drawing his sword before charging with astonishing speed. Kurtis blocked before backpedaling, mentally calling to the Oricaltos as he did so. _Saito! What is it, Kurtis? My counterpart thinks that I'm an android. Well then, prove him wrong. And exactly **how **should I go about doing that? **Allow my big brother to land a few blows.** HUH? Who are you? **My name is Yukimaru. Pleased to meet you!** Likewise. Anyway, exactly WHY should I let your older brother take a few pieces out of my hide? **He won't believe you unless you spill blood. You see, General Carter...**_

The Oricaltos interrupted the young _kunoichi_. _CARTER? You mean that he's still alive? **Yes Master Saito. Why does it matter?**_ Saito instinctively winced at Yukimaru's comment. _I don't deserve the title of "Master", yet. I need to earn it. **Oops! Sorry about that!** Nah, it's okay. Anyway, Carter died in our timeline at MY hands...**so you never had to deal with anything like this?** Nope. **But how come your Kurtis is human?** He finished his penance early. **Okay! I just wanted to be sure.** **AHEM.** You were saying, Yukimaru? Sorry about that, Kurtis. Don't worry about it. **General Carter created several androids that resemble you, except that their hair-color is different.** So he thinks that I'm just an android who dyed his hair? **Yup!** Heh. Well, he's about to see how **human** I really am! Thanks for the tip. **You're welcome!**_ Yukimaru responded, and Kurtis slowly shook his head, a smile creeping across his face.

Fubuki saw Kurtis smile and once again pressed his attack. _This_ time, much to the Ninja Master's surprise, he managed to land a few blows. The scientist winced slightly as he ducked under a blow meant to remove his head. Kurtis' movements were starting to slow-down, and he was cursing himself for not considering all factors. _Yukimaru! Since when did your brother start putting poison on his weapons? **...SHOOT! I knew I forgot to warn you about something!** Never mind. I'll just deal with this on my own, _the scientist responded, activating his _Giant Slug_ soul and neutralizing the poison flowing through his veins. Focusing for a few seconds, Kurtis conjured a fireball in his left hand before turning to glare at Fubuki. "I am **not** an android!" he snarled, lunging at the Ninja Master, only to have his blade once more turned aside by the raven-haired man. At that point, Yukimaru decided to intervene. "**Enough,** brother," she called, forcing her elder brother to turn and look at her. "Why should I stop?" he asked, but it was at that moment that he noticed what was flowing from Kurtis' wounds. **Blood.** "Maybe it's because I am _human_?" the scientist managed to groan out before collapsing to the floor. As he was falling, Kurtis hurled the fireball with pinpoint accuracy, sending it careening directly at his Prinny counterpart. Unfortunately, it hit an invisible barrier before reaching the alternate, and dissipated.

Abruptly, Fubuki found himself being hauled into the air by his throat. Looking into the blazing eyes of the Oricaltos, he realized almost too late that Yukimaru had a _very_ good reason for stopping him. "If he dies as a result of those injuries, then I am holding _you_ personally responsible," Saito snarled at the Ninja Master. The man nodded rather nervously, and the Oricaltos set him back down before motioning to Rena. "Bind his wounds as best as you can." "No...need," Kurtis whispered, and Saito looked at him, slightly puzzled. "Why?" "_Cross-Fusion_," he responded, his aura glowing a brilliant shade of green, and the Oricaltos nodded in understanding. "_Are you truly prepared for this?_" "**_Yes_**," Kurtis responded, and then Saito moved away before crossing both arms before him. His palms glowed white for a moment, and then a beam of light emerged from each one. The light from his right hand connected with the scientist, while the beam from his left hand hit the Prinny, who was glowing with a forest-green aura. The _diralec _then began the intonation. "_All powers, both light and dark, I ask that you grant me this request: Fuse them together in mind, body, and soul, so that they may be perfect in all aspects. CROSS-FUSION!_" Saito roared as he uncrossed his arms and took two steps back. The scientist and Prinny collided before the Oricaltos in a blinding flash of light that lasted for several moments.

* * *

**_Inside of the light at the point of impact:_**

"_What the hell...?_" The Prinny Kurtis was anything **but** amused. "What are you?" he questioned, and the human scientist responded with the truth. "I'm **you**, just from a different timeline." "Okay... What makes your timeline so different?" "Well, for starters, General Carter is dead." "WHAT? How?" "The Oricaltos killed him." "...Okay, but that doesn't really explain anything." "To tell you the truth, we are supposed to be combining into one being. However, since there are two different species involved, there are a few complications..." The Prinny Kurtis scratched his head, but then it dawned on him. "In other words, we need to decide whether the body is going to be human or Prinny, right?" The human scientist nodded before adding, "I don't really care." "Well, I don't really care for this body anyway. Human sound good to you?" "Human it is."

* * *

**_Back outside:_**

The light gradually faded, leaving a human shape behind. Saito smiled before calling-out to the man. "Hey Kurtis! How are your injuries?" "**What** injuries?" the scientist called cheerfully, walking towards the Oricaltos. Indeed, all of his wounds had been healed. Adell nodded his approval before turning to Saito. "Nice job. Is it possible to do that for everyone else that has a duplicate here?" "Yes, but it can't be done right now." Laharl was beside himself in anger. "Why not?" he demanded, and the Oricaltos shook his head. "Because, my dear Overlord, our Oracle is gone. Without the Oracles being combined, then none of the other Cross-Fusions will work." Laharl nodded rather sullenly as Saito turned to Adell. "Speaking of our missing Oracle, were you able to locate her and the others?" The Overlord of Veldime paused momentarily before deciding to tell the truth. "I have both good news, and bad news. The good news is that I **have** located your Oracle." "And the bad news?" Michael asked, and Adell hung his head. "You need to pass two bills through the Dark Assembly, but only **one** may be passed by force." Laharl looked crestfallen, but Saito smiled before raising his right hand into the air. Immediately, all of the ricocheting spells stopped and shot directly to the mage's palm, where they combined into a multi-colored sphere. The Oricaltos then closed his fist, absorbing all of the energy of the spells. "It's time to get started, then." With that, Saito approached the podium where Adell had been standing moments before. It was time to address the Dark Assembly.

* * *

**Author's note1:** Well, another day, another night, and another chapter done. What sort of obstacles will Saito face when trying to pass a bill? Why is Adell so unhappy? And where in the Netherworld are Saito's missing companions? Find out the answers to these questions and more when my next chapter, **Facing the Dark Assembly and the Dark Court,** is posted. Until then, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you. 


	4. Chapter 3: The Dark Assembly&Dark Court

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill by now.  
**Extraneous:** Ditto.

**

* * *

**

_It took some convincing,  
but the Assembly believed him.  
Of course, something went wrong...  
The Oracle was kidnapped, along with two others,  
and it was now up-to the mage to get them back.  
First, however, he had to face the Assembly again,  
and then he had to proceed deep into the Item World,  
in order to locate the Dark Court...  
**-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines CXLV-CLII**_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 3: Facing the Dark Assembly and the Dark Court**  
_Last time:_

There was trouble brewing shortly before Saito arrived, but events soon came to a head. One of King Krichevskoy's old vassals, a former Divine Majin named Saul, had a nasty habit of stirring-up trouble wherever he went. **That**, and he had a grudge against Saito. So, it was no surprise that the man was an active participant in the kidnapping of three of Saito's colleagues: the Oracle Pram, his cleric, Maria, and his fist expert, the Adept Ninja Senrael. However, the other participants were well-known. The alternate Laharl lead the attack, but his blows fell-short of the shock that occurred when the younger Overlord revealed his wings. There was a brief lull in the fighting when the alternate Kurtis (still a Prinny) put-in his appearance, accompanied by Yukimaru's older brother, Fubuki. The battle then restarted again, only to come to a complete stop when Saito utilized a _Cross-Fusion_ to combine both versions of Kurtis. After informing the Overlord that any other Cross-Fusions would be failures without both Oracles being combined, Saito inquired as to her location. Adell had good news and bad news. He knew where the Oracle was, but two bills had to be passed in the Dark Assembly before Saul could be pursued. The catch? Only one bill could be passed by force. We now rejoin the Oricaltos as he prepares to address the Dark Assembly of Veldime...

**

* * *

**

_**Dark Assembly: Adell's Castle: Veldime: Alternate Timeline**_  
**Time: Ten minutes after the **_**Cross-Fusion**_** involving Kurtis**

As Saito approached the podium, he turned to look at Adell. "Which bills do you need me to pass?" "Well, there are two in particular that warrant attention. Those are the bill to create Chaos Soldiers, and the bill to reopen the gates of Beauty Castle." Saito nodded solemnly before standing behind the podium. He waited for the room to fall silent, and then he began to speak. "I am sure that all of you know who I am by now." Most of the senators nodded, and the Alternate Priere snorted once before settling into her customary seat. "I come before you today in order to propose two bills. The first of these is for the creation of Chaos Soldiers..." This announcement was greeted by silence, and then laughter. "You can't propose that bill! You have to be a senator first!" one of the Gunners called from the fifth row, and Saito shrugged. "Well then, how do I go about doing that?" "Simple. **Saul won't allow it**!" the man called, howling with laughter. The eyes of the Oricaltos narrowed to slits as he stared at the man. "In case you haven't noticed, **Saul** isn't here right now to save your sorry ass," he stated, and it was suddenly silent as the allies of the Chaos Soldier frantically scanned the upper rows for him. Indeed, Saito's words were true: Saul was nowhere in sight.

"I propose that we allow the Oricaltos to become a senator," Pram called. "Are there any objections?" There was absolute silence. "Well, it looks like that's settled," she called with a smile, and Saito grinned as well. "Before you all cast your votes, I want you to hear me out. Listen to _why_ I want to pass this bill, and then make your decisions." He took a deep breath, and then launched into his explanation. "My colleagues and I came from an alternate timeline, and all we want to do is return home. However, that is impossible because of one simple fact: Saul kidnapped our Oracle." A rash of surprised oaths rang from the benches, and Saito shook his head. "In addition to our Oracle, he took two others who are of vital importance to me. But, I guess nothing compares to the loss of our copy of the _Sacred Tome_. All we want to do is return to our place and time. I just wanted to see how things were different here, and not be involved in any massive sort of struggle. Please keep that in mind, ladies and gentlemen." Saito let out his breath in a heavy sigh, and then he lifted his head once again. "Let the voting begin...**now."**

**

* * *

**

_After all of the votes had been tallied:_

One of the youngest Senators descended from the top row, carrying a clipboard. This she presented to Saito, who nodded and smiled. "Thank you, young lady." "You're welcome, sir!" she responded cheerfully, turning back to her seat before yelping slightly. Saito had grabbed her wrist, and was gently twisting it. "Stop it! You're hurting me!" "I suppose that is a small price to pay when you tried to steal one of my daggers right out from under my nose," he whispered, and the young woman stopped in shock. "How did you know?" "I felt your fingers go into my pockets. **That's** how I knew." Adell looked-over at the conversation, and slowly shook his head as he approached the Oricaltos. "Sita, I thought you would have known better," he chided, and the small thief hung her head. Her long blonde hair was tied at the bottom with blue ribbon, and her golden cats-eyes were downcast. "I wasn't sure if he was really the Oricaltos. I just _had_ to see for myself," she responded, defending her actions. The Oricaltos put a hand over his eyes and shook his head, chuckling. "Well, you certainly know **now**." "Yup," she responded truthfully, but then she froze when Saito asked her another question. "Do you want to come with us?" "Wha...? What do you mean?" she asked, giving him a rather curious look. "Do you want to join us when we return to the Makai Kingdom?" Her golden eyes lit-up as she raised her head. The goggles on her hat were glittering as brilliantly as her eyes when she responded. "YES!" "As long as you help us to free our Oracle, then you can come." "Thank you!" she cried, wrapping her arms tightly around Saito's waist. The mage smiled as Adell pried her away, and then he checked the results of the vote.

He blinked in surprise. Looking at the results, he went over and tallied the votes once more. There was no mistake. "Hey Adell! You're not going to believe this!" "What is it, Saito?" the Overlord of Veldime asked as he walked over to the mage. Saito passed him the clipboard with the results, and Adell, for once in his life, was at a loss for words. "How did you do that?" he whispered, and the Oricaltos shrugged. "I guess my speech really got to them," he responded in the same manner before raising his voice once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have counted the votes, and the results are as follows:"

Total combined level of those against the bill: 3,138  
Total combined level of those in favor: 6,897

"The motion passes," Saito said, and there was a moment of silence before the hall erupted into cheers from his supporters. The Oricaltos smiled and then he raised his voice to be heard over the noise. "Onto our next proposal..."

**

* * *

**

_That motion **also** passed, without Saito having to so much as lift a finger. But that was only the first part of the task...  
**Item World Entrance: Adell's Castle**_

"The Dark Court is located on the twenty-first floor." "There's something else, isn't there?" Saito asked, and Adell sighed aloud. "I'm afraid so. It's on the twenty-first level of a Legendary _Arcadia_..." "which means that the enemies are going to be incredibly strong, and it's going to be far from easy," Laharl groaned, shaking his head. "Can it get any worse?" "Yes, it actually could. We might be forced to fight both Saul and the entire Dark Court, just to get to Pram." "You're probably right, Adell," Saito concluded, scratching his head. "That's why I want you and a few others to accompany me." "Are you sure about that?" he asked, not quite believing what he was hearing, and the Oricaltos solemnly nodded his head before answering. "Trust me, Overlord. I know what I'm doing." "Well then, count me in!" he called before turning to look at Rozalin. "Are you coming, dear?" "Naturally," the young woman responded, prompting a smile from the crimson-haired Overlord. "Can I come too?" a rather timid voice asked, and Saito smiled before turning to look at Sita. "You most certainly can, young lady. Besides, I need someone who knows their way around."

"Well, I guess that the debate is over," another voice added, and Adell turned, slightly incredulous, to the young man who had appeared. Even though he had white hair, the demon appeared to be fairly young. He wore a small pair of square-lensed spectacles, even though he rarely needed them. However, it was extremely easy to tell what he was, due to the clothing he was wearing. Saito smiled as he recognized what had once been a concealing mask resting atop the man's head. Laharl was also quick to notice this, and he came to the exact same conclusion. "You're a Skull, correct?" he asked, and the young man nodded solemnly. "My name is Alan. I sometimes act as a courier for the Dark Court." Looking at Saito, Alan directed a mental question to his Overlord. _Is that who I think it is?__**You better believe it! You should have seen what he did earlier.** What did he do? _Alan asked, his interest piqued. _**He passed the Chaos Soldier bill...on his first attempt.**_ There was a moment of stunned silence from the brown-robed Galaxy Skull. _He did WHAT? I thought it was impossible! __**Nope, but there's something more about the way he passed it...**What is it?**He passed the bill without having to resort to force.** ...DUDE! That is just awesome!**I know**,_ Adell replied, a smile on his face. _**He truly IS the Oricaltos.**_

**

* * *

**

_While Adell is busy introducing Alan to the other leaders, let's head down to the Dark Court to check on Pram's current situation...  
**Main Courtroom: Dark Court: Floor 21: Item World: Arcadia**_

"This is getting nowhere," Pram grumbled as she listened to Saul present his case against her. It had been a long and grueling process, but the Chaos Soldier was only getting started. "...And now, I call upon my first witness. Aries, bring me the cleric." The warrior bowed before exiting, but something went horribly wrong outside. Five minutes passed, and then the brown-haired man burst back into the courtroom, his eyes wide with shock. "MASTER SAUL! I checked everywhere, but I couldn't find her!" Saul exploded. "WHAT? She couldn't have just escaped on her own!" "...No, she had help," a rather weak voice called from outside the doors. Aries proceeded through the back door, and then returned, supporting a badly-beaten Gunner. Saul narrowed his eyes. "Tell me **exactly** how it happened," he demanded, and the man sighed once before launching into his tale.

"I was following your orders to retrieve the cleric when I arrived at her cell. She appeared to be meditating, but then she looked at me and spoke. 'You will regret this when the Oricaltos arrives. You, and that idiot whom you serve,' she whispered, and I kinda lost my temper. I put a bullet in her left hip before hauling her out and tying her hands, and she fell silent after that. On the way back here, I ran into the courier and insulted him. To say the least, he took it rather badly. He grabbed me, and I lost my grip on the cleric when I turned to break Alan's left wrist. By the time I had turned back, that stupid girl was free, and she clocked me in the right eye. Normally, I have a thing against hitting women, but not when they hit me first. I took a swing at her, but, somehow, she managed to duck. Then she landed two blows. The first one hit me square in the stomach, and the second one was a little lower." Saul winced in sympathy, while Pram tried (and failed) to stifle several giggles. "Then something hit the back of my head, and that's all I can remember. When I woke up, she was **long** gone, and so was Alan." Pram merely shook her head and smiled, while the Chaos Soldier fumed. Things were definitely looking-up, just not for Saul. _Damn that courier, damn that cleric, and damn the Oricaltos as well!_

**

* * *

**

_Ah, poor Saul! (_laughs aloud_) Too bad for him. Also, I feel a __**little** sorry for the Gunner (but not THAT much). Anyway, back to Saito and the others...  
**Item World Entrance: Adell's Castle: Veldime**_  
**Time: Twenty minutes after Alan's introduction**

A slender figure approached from behind and plucked at Alan's sleeve. The brown-robed Galaxy Skull turned and smiled when he saw who it was. "Come on. It's time that I introduce you to everyone, especially the Oricaltos." "The young woman sighed before gently shaking her head. "There's no need to do that, Alan. Even though my appearance has changed slightly, I'm still the same cleric. Besides, they already know me," she remarked, smiling playfully. The young wizard sighed before gesturing. "Go right ahead, then. Prove me wrong." "With pleasure," the cleric whispered as she strode forward, making a beeline directly for the Oricaltos. Saito was discussing a few matters with Adell when a rather polite cough interrupted his speech. Turning, he stopped and whistled lightly at the sight before him. The clothing had remained the same, but the cleric bore a more mature figure than any of the others that Saito had seen, not to mention the fact that she was nearly his height. She was moderately endowed, and her crystal-blue eyes were downcast. However, upon studying her more closely, Saito's eyes widened in disbelief. He recognized the subtle shifts in posture when she was resting, the way she carried her bow slung over her right shoulder, and especially important, he recognized the short sword that had been sheathed across the back of the woman's waist. "_Maria?_" he asked, stunned, and the young Dimensional Gatekeeper smiled before wrapping her arms around Saito's waist and hugging him closely, tears streaming down her face. "I never want to be left like that again!" she cried, and Saito gently patted his cleric's head. "You won't be, Maria. I promise." Maria sniffed once and wiped away her tears before her eyes hardened with resolve. "I'm coming with you," she declared, and Saito turned to the Overlord of Veldime, grinning. "You see what I was saying earlier, Adell? She never gives-up, even when things appear to be hopeless." Adell chuckled and shook his head. "I see what you mean, Saito. Let's get going. I don't want to take all day." "Me neither," Saito responded with a laugh. "Lead on, my friend."

**

* * *

**

_Into the **Arcadia** we go!_

Saito arrived in the Item World and looked at the floor indicator before turning to Adell. "How did you manage to get down this far?" he inquired, and Rozalin smiled. "The old-fashioned way, of course! We just beat the living daylights out of anything that got in our way." "Typical," Maderas snorted with a laugh. "This shouldn't be too hard." "Don't count on it, Maderas," Saito warned. "This is going to be anything but a walk in the park, even though we only need to descend three floors." "Here they come!" Laharl yelled, and then the madness began.

The Oricaltos didn't even turn as multiple Ghosts, Warriors, and even two mobile Geo Prisms, approached him from behind. All kept a respectful distance, with the exception of the red Geo Prism monster. It rather cautiously approached the Oricaltos, and then tentatively poked him. Saito turned, raised a curious eyebrow, and then crouched down to get a closer look at the monster who had poked him. Sita wandered over and also crouched down, tilting her head to one side in curiosity. "Hello!" she called happily, and the rabbit-like monster looked at her in disbelief. "What?" "No one has ever talked to me before," it whispered, and Saito smiled. "There's a first time for everything," he said, and the monster nodded in agreement. The Oricaltos then noticed the crowd that was behind him, and slowly turned to face them. His eyes narrowed to slits. "_Who do you serve?_" he rumbled, and the monsters answered simultaneously. "Saul." The mage slowly rose to his feet and shook his head once before extending his right hand. "Then you must suffer for taking the Oracle and the _Tome_ from me. _Tsunum!_" he yelled, and watched in satisfaction as the monsters disintegrated under the barrage of silver fireballs. The mobile Geo Prism flinched once before staring in awe at the carnage caused by that one attack. "Oricaltos?" it asked rather nervously, and Saito nodded before making a shooing gesture. "Get outta here, little guy. Your task is done." "Yes sir!" it responded, and scurried away, leaving a clear path to the next gate.

_Despite the challenges, the Oricaltos and his allies made excellent progress. After taking a break between floors 20 and 21 to heal and restock a few items, Saito and the others made their way through the torturous path of Floor 21, until they reached the nexus for the Dark Court..._

Sita looked rather worriedly at the scene unfolding before her, because she did not have the strength to turn away. Three Chaos Soldiers were crowded onto a single-span bridge, and beyond them, blinking like some sort of demonic eye, was the nexus for the Dark Court. Saito stood alone on the tiled floor in front of the bridge, his white-bladed sword before him. The Oricaltos knew that if any of the Chaos Soldiers survived his next attack, then they would be exponentially stronger. His eyes narrowed to slits, and then he began to move. Adell and the others could only stare in awe as Saito adopted a stance that they had never seen before. The Oricaltos slid his left foot forward before leaning down and crossing his left hand over his body, planting it on the floor in front of his right leg. His sword arm was back, and there was a feral smile on the hybrid's lips as he slowly drew his left hand across the ground in a perfectly straight line until it was outside of his left leg. His claws made a scraping sound that resembled nails being dragged across a chalkboard. Saito then dug his fingers into the tile, and **lunged** His blade flashed twice; once on the initial lunge, and once on the return lunge, and the end result was devastating. All three of the Chaos Soldiers fell from the bridge, each of them in **three** separate pieces. The eyes of the Oricaltos were burning with rage as he motioned for the rest of his allies to follow. "It's time to get what we came for."

**

* * *

**

_OUCH! I wonder what Saito has in store for Saul when the two cross paths again...  
**Main Courtroom: Dark Court: Item World**_

Aries burst into the courtroom, followed closely by a large number of Gunners, just as Saul was about to address the jury. "Master Saul!" "**What** is it now, Aries?" the Chaos Soldier snapped. Everything had gone horribly wrong for him ever since Maria had escaped, and he was certain that things could not get any worse. _**Wrong answer.**_ "The Oricaltos! He's here!" Saul's vibrant orange eyes narrowed in rage. "But that's impossible! I put three of my best out there!" "They weren't enough to protect your sorry hide, Saul," a familiar voice called from the doorway, and the former Divine Majin once more found himself facing the Oricaltos. He snarled. "Stay out of my way, or the Oracle dies!" he snapped, and Saito's eyes changed from blue to gold as his wings revealed themselves once more. "Prepare yourself," was all the Oricaltos said before lunging at the Chaos Soldier, his hands already wrapping around the man's throat. Aries was about to make a move to help his lord when he felt a rather sharp prick at the small of his back. "One more move, and my blade severs your spinal column," Yukimaru whispered, her dark eyes shimmering as she watched the mage throttle Saul. The warrior knew by her tone of voice that the young _kunoichi_ was being dead serious,and he immediately stopped struggling. The Gunners, however, had noticed the other allies, and they had begun shooting, causing a rather massive firefight to erupt.

Saul reached-up and grabbed Saito's wrists before tightening his grip, forcing the Oricaltos to slightly loosen his. Gulping air, the Chaos Soldier struggled to escape, but to no avail. Finally settling for a stand-off, he nodded to one of the more accurate Gunners before staring into Saito's eyes. "If you strangle me, then your precious Oracle gets a bullet in the brain," he managed to gasp out, and the Oricaltos unceremoniously dropped him onto the floor before lifting his left hand. Immediately, his allies ceased firing and took cover as all eyes focused on the immortal King of Dragons. "If you're so confident that you can beat me, Saul, then I have a proposal for you." "What is it?" the Chaos Soldier asked, slightly curious as to _why_ Saito was suddenly willing to bargain. "The two of us fight one-on-one, with no outside interference. If you win, then you can do whatever you want with Pram, Zetta, and Senrael. But if I win, then you release the prisoners and call-off your Gunners so that we can leave in peace." Saul paused for a moment, and then tilted his head sideways. "What if you beat me, but I refuse to yield?" he asked, and the response of the Oricaltos chilled him to his core. "Then I will kill you, take my allies, and leave. You won't be able to stop me. For that matter, no one will be able to stop me from doing that. Agreed?" The Chaos Soldier swallowed hard before nodding his head once. "Agreed."

"Cease fire!" Saul yelled, but the Gunners looked at him like he was nuts before resuming their attack. You see, they had never stopped firing while Saito was speaking, but all of that was about to change. They continued firing until their guns were literally **yanked** from their hands by a mental pull from the Oricaltos. "That's enough," Saito warned, and then the Gunners realized just how serious the mage was. Bowing rather quickly, they grabbed and holstered their guns before scrambling away from the center of the room, leaving an open area where the Chaos Soldier and the hybrid could duel. Saito nodded his approval before beckoning to Saul. "Come on. It's time that we settle this once and for all." "I couldn't agree more," Saul snarled, drawing an axe before lunging at the mage. Swinging his weapon overhead, the Chaos Soldier tried to split Saito's skull open, only to have his blade stopped by the flat of _Durend_, the mage's white-bladed sword. The Oricaltos smiled rather wickedly before kicking Saul in the stomach and vaulting away, drawing his blade in an arc just over the man's head. The Chaos Soldier had the wind knocked out of him, and he doubled-over in pain for a few critical seconds. It was all the time that Saito needed to end the duel. He "flickered" his hands into claws before lunging towards his semi-prone adversary. By the time Saul had caught his breath and once again stood upright, he felt a razor-sharp edge pressed against his throat. Saito's eyes were glittering, slightly amused. "It's over, Saul, and you lost. Release the Oracle, the _Tome_, and the Adept Ninja into my custody," he ordered, but a voice coming from the judge's seat stopped him.

"Gunners, detain this so-called 'Oricaltos'. Saul, ignore his orders." Adell looked over at the judge and raised an eyebrow. It was plain to see that the Overlord of Veldime was not happy at all with what was going on. "You can't do this to him, Judge! He already proved that he was the Oricaltos to the Dark Assembly..." "**But**, he has yet to prove it here in the Dark Court, _Overlord_," the Prinny sneered, pointing his gavel at the crimson-haired man. "Now sit down, or I will have you thrown from here for contempt of court!" Adell swallowed rather hard before nodding his head and taking a seat. Allowing his eyes to wander, he made eye-contact with the Oricaltos and sent him a telepathic message. _I'm sorry that things worked-out this way, man. __Eh, it wasn't really your fault, Adell. I know that, but I should have seen this coming from a mile away. DAMMIT! __**Adell, stop blaming yourself for this mess. If the fault lies with anyone, then it lies with the judge.** ...You have a good point there, Fubuki_, Adell conceded, _but I can't help it! __Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it, Overlord! Neither you nor I have any power to stop this, but we can certainly make this judge's life a living Hell. Agreed, Saito. If you go down, then I'm going down too. And if that happens, then we take the Dark Court with us. I absolutely LOVE the way your mind works, Adell. Why, thank you._

**

* * *

**

**Author's note1:** _DAMN..._ It certainly looks like things took a turn for the worse for Saito. Anyway, what is the judge trying to do by having Saito arrested and put on trial? Will Saito win his case, or will he be trapped in the Dark Court? What about Pram and the others? Will they stay to support Saito, or will they just leave? And what will happen to Saul if Saito manages to survive this new ordeal? Find out in my next chapter, **Oricaltos on Trial**. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 4: Oricaltos on Trial

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill by now.  
**Extraneous:** Ditto.

* * *

_The bills were passed with the greatest of ease,  
but the Oricaltos still had to descend into the Item World.  
But before the Gate was reached, the hybrid received a surprise:  
One of the three had escaped the Dark Court,  
and she was determined to help the mage out.  
With the local Overlord in tow,  
the Oricaltos descended to the twenty-first level,  
only to confront the abductor, Saul, upon entering the courtroom...  
The battle was fierce, but brief,  
and Saito came out on top.  
However, before he could take his allies and escape,  
the judge had him arrested and put on trial...  
**-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines CLIII-CLXIV**_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Oricaltos on Trial**  
_What happened before:_

Both of the bills passed with relative ease, and Saito was soon on his way to the Dark Court. However, just before reaching the entrance to the Item World, the Oricaltos received a pleasant surprise: apparently, Maria had escaped from the Dark Court, with a little help from the courier, Alan (a Galaxy Skull). The group then proceeded to the twenty-first floor of a Legendary _Arcadia_, killing almost anything that got in their way. Upon arriving in the main courtroom, Saito challenged and defeated the kidnapper, Saul, in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, before he could free either Pram or Senrael, he was arrested on orders from the judge. We now rejoin the Oricaltos minutes later, as things are about to take a turn for the weird...

* * *

_**Following Saito: Main Courtroom: Dark Court: Floor 21: Item World: Arcadia**_**  
Time: Nearly ten minutes have passed since Saito was arrested.**

The Oricaltos rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Oh, come **on**! That is a complete and total lie, and you know it, Saul!" he snarled from the defense table as the Chaos Soldier attempted to turn Maria against him. However, the cleric refused to listen to a word that came from Saul's mouth, and she instead placed her trust in Saito. So far, the trial had only been running for ten minutes, but Saito caught Saul lying to two witnesses on at least five occasions. Things were not looking too well for the Chaos Soldier, but then _she_ arrived, and threw the entirety of the courtroom into turmoil.

"Excuse me, Your Honor. I just received your summons and arrived as fast as I could." All of the Gunners stared at the door in disbelief, and then they looked at the defense table. The Oracle was standing in the doorway, but they were stumped to find that she was **also** sitting next to the Oricaltos at the same time. They all started to talk at once, and the Prinny judge banged his gavel several times to try and quiet them down. "ORDER!" he yelled, and the Gunners all fell silent. The judge looked from the doorway to the defense table, a puzzled expression on his face. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, pointing first at one Oracle, and then the other. The Pram who had accompanied Saito sighed aloud before rising to her feet. "Allow me to explain. You see, we came from an alternate timeline, and all we want to do is return home. Is that so difficult to understand?" "**Yes**," the judge sneered at her, and Saito's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Looking at Adell, the Oricaltos issued a mental command. _Overlord, see if you can direct the judge's thoughts towards the Lord of Terror. Have an idea, Saito? Yes, and I have a feeling that it will work WONDERS..._

"Your honor, do I have leave to speak?" Adell asked, rising from his chair, and the judge nodded. "Go right ahead." "We have already heard from this young man that Baal **also** exists in his timeline. What do you make of that?" The judge snorted a laugh. "Don't try and screw with my head, Overlord. I know where this is going..." "And exactly **where** would that be?" Saito inquired, his eyes glittering dangerously as they shifted from light-blue back to gold with slit-pupils. "He wants me to admit that this is just a stall tactic to keep you here..." "which is **exactly** the case!" the Oricaltos retorted, raising a hand to cut-off Saul. "Don't get me wrong, but I smell a rat here, and it looks to me like this judge is anything **but** normal." Laharl nodded his head. "I have to agree with you there. I just sense malevolence towards all of us, and not just you. This is no ordinary Prinny."

"Heh. It looks like you're not as slow as I thought, _Overlord_," the judge snarled, the darkness surrounding him growing deeper by the second. "Indeed, I am anything **but** ordinary. You see, I am merely a spirit without a body since mine was destroyed, but I have grown accustomed to sharing with a certain massive demon..." "_Baal_," Michael concluded, slowly shaking his head. "So **you** are the darkness that he is trying to eliminate inside of himself." "And he is failing miserably too, I might add," the Prinny stated, tossing his head back and laughing maniacally. "He will **never** succeed in throwing my influence off..." "unless he regains possession of his original sword, _Cthrek Goru_," Saito finished, pulling a pair of gloves from his belt and putting them on. He then reached around to the back of his waist, and allowed his hand to casually rest on a nearly-invisible hilt. In that instant, the sword and sheath materialized, and the **real** Lord of Terror hissed in anger and hatred. "DAMN YOU! How did you find it? I thought I hid it where no one could reach it!" Saito slowly shook his head, smiling at the idiotic question. "You hid it where only **two** could reach it: Soma Alejandro Cruz, and Count Vladislav Tepes III _il_ Dragulia. Soma grabbed it in 2040, and he gave it to me to keep until I needed it." The Prinny nearly swore aloud as he mentally cursed both the immortal Lord of Chaos (Soma) **and** King of Vampires (Dracula). He began to retreat into the shadows, but not before Saito called-out one last time. "What is your name? You can at least tell me that, right?" "**Yes**," the Prinny snarled, his voice deepening as he faded further into the darkness. "**My name is Corbin.**" He then vanished, leaving many of the Gunners dazed and confused. Saito slowly shook his head before speaking four words. "_This court is adjourned._" Everyone rose from their seats and then walked-out of the room.

Just outside of the door, Saito managed to catch Saul. "And exactly **where** do you think you are going?" he demanded, and the Chaos Soldier gulped nervously. "I was just going to go and fetch the other prisoners who were placed under-arrest by the judge's orders." "Lead the way, then," Adell said, gesturing towards the open door to his right, and Saul nodded before proceeding ahead of the group. Soon enough, they reached the cell-block where Senrael was located. However, much to Adell's surprise, there was a **female** ninja in the same cell. He recognized the young woman immediately. "_Rachel?_ What in the name of the Netherworld were you put here for?" The female ninja shrugged before adjusting her face mask and running her hands through long, black hair. "I refused to testify against a fellow ninja, and was sentenced to stay with him until I changed my mind." Senrael nodded in agreement as Sita was busy picking the lock. "She helped me out of a tough spot, Saito. I owe her." The Oricaltos nodded in agreement before turning to Saul, but the Chaos Soldier was already gone. It was then that Saito felt the absence of something, and Laharl started to swear profusely under his breath. "Damn that sorry traitor!" "What are you talking about?" the Oracle of Veldime asked, and the _dhamphir_ gestured towards Saito's belt. "The Dimensional Gate keys are gone." The mage's eyes narrowed to slits, the outer rims growing darker and darker with each passing second. "Sita, see how many other prisoners you can free. Adell?" "Yes, Saito?" "Come with me. We have a Chaos Soldier to catch!"

* * *

_**Dimensional Gate: Adell's Castle: Veldime**_

"Let's see... Now how do these things work again?" Saul muttered to himself as he flipped through the keys he had stolen from Saito's belt. A voice behind him caused the man to jump, and he spun on his heels. "You won't be needing those after I finish with you," Saito snarled, and Adell nodded before cracking his knuckles. "Mind if I get the first crack at him?" he asked, and the Oricaltos laughed once before gesturing. "Knock yourself out, Overlord! Just save some for me." "I intend to," the Overlord of Veldime responded, pulling-on black leather gloves before adopting his stance. Saul swallowed nervously before drawing his axe again and taking a swing, only to have the axe-head buried in the ground where Adell had once been. "_King of Beasts!_" the Overlord called, kicking the Chaos Soldier into the air before beating the crap out of him. By the time Saul landed, face-first, he had suffered two broken ribs, a separated shoulder, and a fractured collarbone. Adell landed easily on his feet before gesturing for Saito to step forward. "He's all yours, Saito." "Why, thank you, Adell!" the Oricaltos happily responded before "flickering" his hands into claws and rushing forward. He moved too-fast for Adell's eyes to follow, but when he abruptly stopped, the Overlord noticed the blood dripping from his claws. Looking at Saul, his eyes widened as the multiple slash wounds became visible. When Saul finally dropped to the ground, Adell whistled once. "Remind me to **never** piss you off," he remarked, and Saito laughed. "I don't think that I'll ever need to do that," he replied, and Adell slowly shook his head before both burst into laughter.

* * *

_Man, that was really something! Now, let's go check on the progress of the rest of Saito's allies...  
**Following Sita: Cell-block C: Dark Court (lower level)**_

The thief stuck her tongue out as she worked on the lock. It was anything **but** easy to do, and she soon saw the reason for it. The man was sitting in the back of the cell, away from the light. Bound by heavy manacles on both his hands and his feet, the figure made no effort to move towards the door when Sita finally managed to get it open. She was about to proceed inside when Rozalin grabbed her. "I'll handle this," she whispered before entering the cell. At her light footsteps, the man slowly raised his head. There was much pain in his nearly-black eyes, and his long white hair was hanging loosely around his shoulders. He wore no clothing except for a pair of jean shorts, and his arms were covered in what appeared to be rather large patches of red ink, as if he had been tattooed. His voice was tired, and he spoke with an eloquence that stunned the Overlord's wife. "Why have I been released?" he asked, and Rozalin sadly smiled. "You were arrested by the judge, weren't you?" she asked, and the man slowly nodded. "He had me locked away for a crime that I didn't commit, and I've been sitting in here for the past thirty-eight years, wondering what went wrong." "You don't need to worry about that anymore, my friend. It turns out that the judge was actually the dark spirit of a past Lord of Terror, and he wanted revenge," another voice replied from the doorway, and the man slowly raised his head to look at the Overlord of Veldime. "Ah, master Adell. It has been quite a while since I last heard your voice." Adell smiled at the convict, and then he helped the man to rise to his feet. "The feeling is mutual, Sorin. It has been too long since I last heard from you. I'm glad to see that you're still alive after all of that." The man snorted a laugh. "You thought he could break me? Yeah, _right_," he grumbled, bringing a smile to many faces outside of the cell. Sita stepped in and offered a tiny hand to the rather large man. "Come on, Sorin. Let's get you back to the hospital and see what they can do about those scars of yours." "I'm coming, Sita," the man responded with a smile as he took the thief's hand and allowed her to help him from his cell.

* * *

_Once all had been said and done, a grand-total of twenty-three prisoners were freed by the Oricaltos and his allies. After dropping most of them at the hospital, Saito proceeded back to the Dark Assembly. There were only a few things left to do, but he needed to make sure that **one** thing was done first...  
**Following Saito: Dark Assembly: Adell's Castle: Veldime: Alternate Timeline**_**  
Time: Three hours after the discovery that Corbin was judge...**

"Do we _have_ to do this?" the Oracle of Veldime whined, and Pram slowly shook her head. "Saito, just get this over-with. I want to go home, and this is taking _way_ too much time." "Agreed," the Oricaltos responded as he crossed his hands and once more began the incantation. "_All powers, both light and dark, I ask that you grant me this request: Fuse them together in mind, body, and soul, so that they may be perfect in all aspects. CROSS-FUSION!_" the mage roared, uncrossing his arms and taking a step backwards. Both of the Oracles combined in a brilliant flash of light, but it quickly faded away, leaving a fairly happy Pram behind. "I think we should combine both versions of Zetta next," she suggested, and the Oricaltos nodded in agreement. "After all, we still have plenty of work left to-do before we can regain his body." "I agree. Now will you _please_ stop taking so long?" the confined Overlord complained, and everyone cracked a smile. _Some things just never change..._ Saito thought as he began the process once again.

_Three hours and six Cross-Fusions later..._

"Well, that turned-out **much** better than I anticipated," Laharl commented, admiring his hands. Since his _Cross-Fusion_, the Overlord had grown slightly taller and a little broader, but he had not gained the weaknesses of his counterpart. Etna and Flonne had undergone the same thing, and they were happily chatting with both Maria and Yukimaru. Adell wandered over and rested a hand on Saito's shoulder. "So, how are you feeling after all of that?" he asked, and the Oricaltos winced slightly before rubbing his temples. "I've seen better days, but I think I'll survive. How is Sorin holding-up?" "Well, I just checked-in with the hospital, and they said that he had already left. He should be here any minute now..." As if on cue, the white-haired man stepped into the room, an axe slung-over his left shoulder and a bow slung-over his right. "Looks like you made quite a fast recovery," Saito commented, and the former prisoner nodded. "I had to learn how to recover quickly. Saul gave me near-daily beatings, and he was always torturing the others for fun." Saito shrugged and smiled coldly. "Well, you will never have to worry about **that** ever happening again," he remarked, and Sorin looked at him, slightly puzzled. That is, until Adell took him to one side and explained exactly **how** Saito had dealt with the Chaos Soldier, and then the man's expression changed from bewilderment to sincere gratitude. "Thank you for dealing with him, Oricaltos." "You're very welcome, Sorin," Saito responded easily before looking at Pram. "Are we ready to go, or do you think it would be wise to spend the night here?" The Oracle shrugged before answering. "I don't really care, but I think that it would be better if we stayed here overnight. That way, we can all recover from what happened today." Saito blinked twice before nodding his head. "I agree. Besides, I think we all could use a little rest around here," he commented, seeing Sita bare tiny fangs with a rather large yawn. "Okay everyone, listen-up! We're going to be spending the night here so we can recover and get a fresh start in the morning. Understood?" Everyone else nodded, and then Adell led the way into the guest quarters, where he had set-up several beds for Saito and the others.

* * *

_SLEEPY TIME! Anyway, we rejoin Saito and the others the next morning, as they prepare to exit Veldime and return to their own timeline...  
**Dark Assembly: Adell's Castle: Veldime: Alternate Timeline**_**  
Time: Ten hours have passed since we last checked-in with the allies.**

"Well, I guess that this is where our paths separate," Saito said, and Sita lowered her head rather sadly. "All of a sudden, I don't want to leave. I want to stay here and serve Master Adell in any way possible!" Saito looked down at the young thief before gently patting her head. "You don't _have_ to come with us if you don't want to..." he replied, and Sita slowly lifted her head, tears glittering in her golden eyes. "Thank you for the offer, Oricaltos," she whispered as she turned away from her newfound friends, and then promptly sprinted out of the room. Saito slowly shook his head before looking around at his allies once again. "Does anyone else want to stay here?" he asked, and nobody moved. The Oricaltos nodded, and then he turned to help the Oracle prepare the Makai Gate to take them home.

Sita rushed out of the Dark Assembly, tears streaming down her face. The little thief was not watching where she was going, and ran blindly into a rather solid figure. "Hey, Sita. What's wrong, little one?" The man's voice cut through the fog in Sita's head, and she furiously swiped at her eyes, trying to wipe-away all of the tears. "I just don't know, sir. I thought I wanted to go and see the Makai, but all I _really_ want to do is serve you in any way that I can," she managed to choke-out before lowering her head against the man's chest. Adell gently smiled before kneeling next to the little thief. "I'll tell you how you can serve me the best." "Really?" she asked, managing to dry her eyes as she looked-up at her Overlord. "How can I do that?" "By joining us when we go to ask Saito if we can accompany him, of course!" Rozalin called, causing Sita to stop and stare in bewilderment. "You mean that **you** want to see what the Makai is like, too?" "Of course we do!" Adell responded with a laugh. "As a matter of fact, we're on our way to ask him now. Do you want to come with us?" "I would **love** to!" Sita happily replied as she turned back towards the doors, a smile on her face.

"Hey Saito! Have room for any more travelers?" a familiar voice called from the doorway, and Saito turned to look at Adell, smiling all the while. "I was wondering when you were going to show-up and ask that question, Overlord. As a matter-of-fact, I think we may be able to bring along ten more people when we return to our timeline." "Is that an invitation to join you?" Sorin called from the door as he strode in, leading a rather small group of vassals, and the Oricaltos grinned at the black-eyed man. "What do you think it is, a refusal? Get over here, and let's go home! The Assembly is already starting to grind on my nerves." "I here ya," Adell responded with a laugh as he walked-over to the mage. Inwardly, Saito was smiling. _Heck, I didn't even need to persuade them to join me! This is getting better and better each time!_ He rested his right hand on the orb atop the Makai Gate, and it glowed a brilliant blue-white from beneath his palm. "The Makai Gate is now active." "_Destination?_" "_**Home.**_" And in a flash of light, they were on their way.

* * *

_YAHOO! More allies, and another enemy down! It's back to the Makai we go, and onto the next part of Saito's task...  
**Makai Kingdom: Zetta's Netherworld: Original Timeline**_**  
Time: Three and a half minutes since Saito activated the Gate.**

There was a brilliant flash, and then Saito removed his hand from the orb. "Welcome to the Makai," he called to Adell, and the crimson-haired man smiled. "I always wondered where Zetta came from, but now I know for sure." "Yup!" Pram replied happily, but her eyes were already moving across the landscape. There was something wrong, but she couldn't sense anything amiss. Then, she saw the multiple flashes and heard the rumble of several fairly high-level spells, and she shook her head before stomping her left foot. "No, no, **no!** This should _not_ be happening right now!" "What's wrong, Pram?" Saito asked, and the Oracle pointed towards the distant flashes of light. "Salome and Alexander have a few...unresolved issues." "Lemme guess: one supports Zetta, and the other just hates his guts, am I right?" "You nailed it," a rather breathless voice commented, and Saito turned rather worriedly in order to see that Trenia was leaning heavily against Solana. "Salome was Zetta's apprentice at one time, and she fell in-love with him. She became an Overlord to try and remain with him, but he had already been confined at that point. However, she has been the most active participant in the search for Zetta's body, and she even went as far as to challenge Alexander for supremacy." "Well then, let's get moving before someone ends-up dead!" the Oricaltos remarked as he turned and spread his wings before soaring towards the battlefield.

_Half an hour and several miles later..._

"_Omega Ice!_" the woman yelled, directing the icy spikes at her opponent. Alexander rolled to his right before rising to his feet and drawing his sword. "I've had enough of this, Salome! _Omega Thunder!_" he yelled, pointing his sword at the woman. She leapt back just in time to avoid the purple lightning bolt, but the G.O.D. was already moving. Cursing her rotten luck, the woman rose to her feet again in order to cast another spell. Then, the Oricaltos arrived, and time basically **stopped**. Neither of the two combatants moved as Saito landed between the two of them, his eyes blazing angrily. Pram landed shortly after he did, and rounded on Salome. "How **dare **you! I told you, and told you, and you **still** refuse to let that issue lie!" she yelled angrily, and Saito slowly shook his head as he examined the female Overlord standing before him.

Salome was nearly as tall as Alexander, but it was obvious to everyone that she was **not** a guy. Her outfit was black with a few gold designs, and did nothing to hide her figure. She kept her blonde hair cropped short, and her blood-red eyes glittered angrily as she responded to the Oracle. "If _he_ had actually kept his mouth shut, then this wouldn't have happened!" she retorted, and Alexander shot her a glare. "What? I didn't say anything!" he defended himself, and Pram rolled her eyes at his antics. "Yeah, _right_," she grumbled sarcastically, not expecting a response. Much to her surprise, someone **did** respond. "Actually, Alexander is telling the truth, Pram. I heard the entire argument, and he didn't mention it even once." _He's right, Oricaltos. __I can tell THAT much, Babylon. How long have these two been going at it? Most recently, or are you talking in general? Most recently. Five hours straight: no breaks, no mercy, just pure Hell_, Saito remarked, slowly shaking his head. "I've had **enough** with fighting for the time being. All I want to do is try and relax, and **maybe** find a way to retrieve Zetta's body." The white-haired man who had just spoken turned to look at the mage, and he snorted. "Who are **you** to be playing peacemaker?" "I am the Oricaltos, and **you** would be...?" "I'm the Underlord. My name is Seedle." "Enough with the introductions already," Salome snapped. "Why do you still refuse to help us find Zetta's body?" "**Why** does everything have to do with Zetta?" Alexander retorted, and the two started arguing once again.

Saito closed his eyes and lowered his head, kneading his temples with the fingers of his right hand. Pram felt as if she were standing next to a pillar of pure, destructive force, and the thought frightened her. Saito's wings were in evidence, and his tail had reappeared once again. The mage was tired of all of the arguing, and he was about to do what he did best: negotiate through the threat of force. "**Enough!**" the Oricaltos roared, and, much to Seedle's amazement, both Salome and Alexander fell deathly quiet. The God of Destruction was rather pale, and Salome was looking around rather nervously. "**I am **_**tired**_** of all of the squabbling between the two of you. You are acting like a group of immature brats!**" Saito snapped, and Salome hung her head in shame. "All I was trying to do was..." She was cut-off by the Oricaltos. "**All **_**you**_** were trying to do was provoke a fight with Alexander. But don't think that I'm letting you go ****_that_ easily,**" he rumbled as he caught the turquoise-haired Overlord trying to sneak away. "**I'm not done yet. You should both be ashamed of yourselves! Now, I want you two to put your efforts towards something more constructive, like trying to locate Zetta's body,**" the Oricaltos said, raising a hand to cut-off Alexander's complaint. "**I know that you may not **_**want**_** to do it, but it MUST be done. Now get moving!**" "Yes, sir," Alexander responded rather glumly before turning away. Salome stuck her nose into the air, spun on her heels, and stalked away from the group, leaving Pram, Seedle, and Saito behind.

As the Oricaltos "descended" (that is, went back to being normal), he slowly shook his head before leaning rather heavily against Pram. "Why do I even bother?" he lamented, and the Oracle reached up to hold his face in her hands. "It's not your fault, Saito." "Then why is everyone blaming him for whatever goes wrong?" Laharl asked, keeping a respectful distance from the mage. "I don't know, but it isn't really helping the situation at all." "You've got _that_ much right!" Adell responded, and the others nodded their assent. "Come on, I think it's time that we left Saito alone for a while." "I agree," Priere responded, gently pulling the Oracle away from Saito. "I've seen him like this before, and he just needs to work things out on his own." Pram nodded rather unhappily, and then she allowed the Alternate Overlord to lead her away from the immortal hybrid.

Minutes seemed to stretch into hours, and Saito merely watched the time pass. He was so deep in thought that he did not notice the figure who was approaching him until the man was practically on-top of him. "What in the name of the Netherworld happened to you, Saito?" the man asked, his forest-green eyes slightly concerned. "I tried to mediate peace between Alexander and Salome." The black-haired man winced before sitting down next to the mage. "OUCH! I bet that it wasn't the most pleasant experience in the world." "You can say that again, Baal," Saito responded, raising his now crystal-blue eyes to look at the human form of the Lord of Terror. "We confronted Corbin in the alternate timeline, but he managed to escape from us." "Damn," Baal muttered, slowly shaking his head. "I thought that he would be gone for good." "Nope, just temporarily." "Anyway, before he retakes control of my body, I need to tell you something." "What is it?" The Lord of Terror whispered something to the mage, and Saito's eyes grew impossibly wide. "WHAT? You're kidding me, right?" "No, I'm being dead serious," Baal responded with a smile. "It's been there the entire time." "Thanks, man," the hybrid said as he rose to his feet and stretched. "I might as well go tell the Oracle." The other man also rose to his feet and stretched before turning away from Saito. "Just a word of warning: He occupied the body with a rather nasty spirit, so you guys will be in for one heck of a fight." "I hear ya, I hear ya. Take care of yourself, my friend. I look forward to the day when I can return your sword." "And I look forward to getting it back," Baal responded with a grin. "See ya!" he called as he vanished, and Saito shook his head, smiling. _What was that all about? __Oh, nothing really that important, Babylon. Could you go tell Pram that I know where the body is? With pleasure, Oricaltos. Just be careful. I will be._

* * *

**Author's note1:** I TOLD you that Baal would be making an appearance this chapter, ElementPriestess. Anyway, it's time for Saito to keep his original promise to the Oracle. What will happen when the Oricaltos and his allies encounter the body of Zetta? Will the battle be a breeze, or a nightmare? And what lies ahead for Saito and the others? Find out in my next segment, **Dark Control: The Fight for Zetta's Body**. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you. 


	6. Chapter 5: The Fight for Zetta's Body

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill by now.  
**Extraneous:** Ditto.

* * *

_The judge was not what he appeared to be,  
and was actually the true Lord of Terror, Corbin.  
After being banished by the Oricaltos, the prisoners were freed,  
and the traitor Saul was dealt with.  
After a long rest, and a short debate,  
Adell decided to join the mage's quest.  
The group returned to the Makai again,  
just in time to keep two of the Overlords  
from killing one another.  
The Oricaltos displayed his full power,  
but nearly paid a terrible price.  
However, the effect was worth the risk.  
During his recovery, the one called Baal arrived,  
and alerted the Oricaltos to the one secret he held:  
the location of Overlord Zetta's body...  
**-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines CLXV-CLXXIX**_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Dark Control: The Fight for Zetta's Body**  
_What happened before:_

Saito was arrested and dragged before the Dark Court. However, Saul did not have a solid case against him, but then confusion erupted when Pram's alternate arrived at the courtroom. In the midst of the turmoil, Saito pointed-out one particular fact: the judge was anything **but** normal. Laughing, the Prinny confirmed that he was, indeed, the darkness inside of Baal. However, he was forced to flee the room when Saito nearly drew Baal's sword, _Cthrek Goru_.

Once the jury and everyone else had been dismissed, Adell and the others caught Saul trying to sneak away. They forced him to lead them into the cell-block where Senrael was being kept, but then the Chaos Soldier made a break for it, taking Saito's keys. As the Oricaltos and Adell went in pursuit, Sita (a young thief) ended-up picking the locks on all of the cell doors, freeing nearly twenty-three prisoners. She had just finished freeing Sorin, an old ally of Adell's, when he and the Oricaltos returned. Saul had been obliterated, and there was only so much left to do in Veldime. After performing several _Cross-Fusions_ and spending the night in Adell's company, Saito decided that it was time to leave. Much to the surprise and amusement of the companions, the Overlord of Veldime, in addition to nine others, **joined** Saito for the return trip to the Makai.

Once they arrived, however, all was not well. Alexander and Salome were trying to kill one another, and Seedle's attempts at mediating were failing miserably. Then, Saito arrived and reverted to his true form, and he practically laid-down the law. It took a lot out of the mage, but he had to do it. Everyone else left him alone after a while, and while he was meditating, who else arrived but our resident Lord of Terror? Baal had some information for Saito, but the Oricaltos didn't believe him at first. Eventually, however, he discovered that Baal was telling the truth. He really **did** know where Zetta's body was hidden. We know join the Oricaltos and his allies as they proceed directly to the location...

* * *

**_Following Saito: Southern Plains: Makai Kingdom: Zetta's Netherworld  
_Time: Forty-five minutes after Baal alerted the Oricaltos as to where the body was located**

"Do we _really_ have to do this?" the lion-like figure complained, and Pram shot him a nasty look before continuing to follow Saito. "Quit complaining, Drake. This is something that needed to be done for quite a long time." "So why does it have to be now?" he asked, slightly annoyed, and then fell silent when the Oricaltos answered his question. "Because we know the location of the body, and **I** want to make sure that Corbin hasn't moved it. If he has, then we might be forced to search for a few more months." _That_ shut the Overlord up, and Saito nearly sighed aloud as he sensed that tensions were high. _If it comes to blows, then we may have a fight amongst ourselves before long, Michael. I know,_ the Seraph replied, _and the thought is anything but pleasant._ The group had started from the Hall of Prophecy and had been directed to the southwest, according to the location that Baal had given Saito. It had been several minutes, and many miles had already been traveled.

Abruptly, Saito came to a stop and raised his left hand. Everyone following him came to a halt, and they looked around, slightly bewildered. "Why are we stopping here?" Adell was quick to ask, and the Oricaltos responded by pointing towards the south. Adell joined him on the ridge, and then realized what Saito was pointing at. The building was built rather low to the ground, so it was capable of withstanding severe winds. It was unadorned, but there was a massive amount of dark energy pouring from the building that caused the Overlord of Veldime to shudder once. "That **has** to be where it is," he exclaimed, and Saito nodded. "I first felt it when I was out here earlier. I just never realized what it was until now." Sadly shaking his head, the mage turned and proceeded back down the ridge, with Adell following closely behind. "Alright people, I need you to pay attention. Zetta's body is still here." "Well **that's** a relief," Seedle snarled, the sarcasm clear in his voice. "Do you **mind,** Underlord?" the mage snapped, his patience with the man already wearing thin. Seedle fell silent, and Saito stared at him a moment longer before continuing. "I know that some of us have been waiting for this moment to arrive, but I personally think that it would be a bad idea to just rush into the building. We need to plan a strategy, especially if we are going into a fight." "Agreed," Pram called, and Laharl and the others nodded rather solemnly before turning to one another, hoping to formulate a strategy.

"Michael, could you please follow me for a moment?" "Sure," the Seraph responded as he followed the hybrid away from the other leaders. They were busy planning their attacks, and would not notice that the two had slipped away. Once the others were out of earshot, Saito turned to look directly at the Seraph. "If my thinking is correct, then this battle might not just be against the dark spirit possessing the body," the mage whispered, and Michael raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" "If Corbin's influence is as great as I believe it to be, then we may end-up fighting Pram and the others from around here." "**What?**" the Seraph asked, slightly incredulous. "You must be kidding me!" "I'm being dead-serious, Michael." "But why pull me away just to tell me this? You could have stated it in front of the entire group." "I know, but I also need your help on something a _little_ more personal." The Seraph sighed aloud. "What is it, Saito?" "I need to speak with the Authority."

The head angel froze in his tracks, his eyes growing wide in shock. "You **what**? Are you out of your mind?" he whispered furiously, and the mage slowly shook his head. "It's something that I need to do, Michael, and you know damn well **why**." "But...no one has spoken directly to the Authority for several hundred years, as far as I know. I was the last one, and it took all of my strength to recover. Even then, I couldn't see for nearly a week. Are you certain that this is necessary?" The Oricaltos nodded. "Absolutely. Besides," he added with a mischievous grin on his face, "I want to see who became the new Seraph." Michael laughed aloud before slowly shaking his head. "You never cease to either amaze me **or** amuse me, Saito. I will help you in any way that I can." "Thank you for understanding, Michael," the mage said as he opened a Dimensional Gate, and the Seraph nodded before following the young man through.

* * *

_What in the name of...? **Why** does Saito need to see the Authority? And exactly _who_ is the Authority? Let's go find out, as we join the hybrid and the angel as they arrive in Celestia...  
__**Sacred Altar: Celestia  
**_**Year: 6580 AD**

Several angelic guards hurried to the door of the Sacred Altar, and the first one knocked twice before pushing the door open. "SERAPH! We have an emergency!" "**What** is so important that you dared to set foot in my dwelling?" the Seraph snapped, emerging from the study near the back of the room. The angel who had first spoken swallowed rather nervously. "Um... Well, it appears as if a Dimensional Gate opened somewhere in Celestia." "And exactly _why_ should I be concerned about it?" "The Gate originated in the Makai Kingdom." "Hmm... Do you know where it was supposed to appear?" The man scratched his head before answering. "Based on several calculations, we were able to determine that the Gate **should** be opening..." "right here," a voice finished, and the angel spun around, determined to eliminate the newly-arrived threat...

...only to be knocked across the room when the man's right fist connected with his jaw. "Don't try that stunt again, Tobias," the man snarled at the injured angel before turning his attention to the Seraph. He then blinked in surprise. "I never thought that it would happen," he whispered, and the angel before him laughed. "You never thought **what** would happen? That a woman could hold the title of Seraph? Don't make me laugh," she added, glowering at the (supposedly) young man before her. The woman's blonde hair hung nearly to her waist, and her blue eyes were narrowed in annoyance as she stretched her muti-tiered silver wings. "Who are you, and what do you want here?" "Perhaps **I** could explain our situation a bit better," the man's companion stated, causing the Seraph to freeze. _That voice... Is it really possible?_ "Master Lamington?" the woman cautiously asked, and the silver-haired, silver-eyed man smiled broadly. "I know that I have a bit of explaining to do, but I'm afraid that my friend here doesn't have much time." "I still want to know who he is, first. _Then_ I will see what I can do." Saito took a closer look at the woman before realization dawned on him. He grinned broadly before addressing the female Seraph. "Oh, come **on**, Alouette. I haven't changed one bit since you last saw me. You **know** who I am, but you refuse to admit it." "What on Earth are you..." Her question died when she took a closer look at the mage, and then her eyes widened in shocked recognition. "_Saito?_ What are you doing here?" "Helping keep a promise that I made to Pram. Listen, I need your help with something." "What is it?" Alouette asked with a smile as she motioned for the other angels to leave. "What do you need to do?" Michael looked at the mage with a slightly unamused look on his face before turning back to his prize pupil. "He needs to speak with the Authority."

"WHAT? That can't be right! Why?" she exclaimed, drawing a rather dry chuckle from the hybrid. "Because my powers, for the most part, are still sealed, and I need the permission of each Authority before I can fully utilize those powers." "Then I take it that you have already spoken with the draconic Authority?" she asked, and Saito nodded. "He gave his approval rather quickly, seeing that I **am** the Oricaltos, after all. Anyway, this will only be my second time speaking with an Authority, but I need to locate them first." Alouette slowly shook her head before beckoning for the angel and the hybrid to follow. "Fine, fine. I'll show you where the door is, but I can't open it for you." "I know that," the mage responded with a smile. "I've been practicing my Latin recently, so it shouldn't be too hard." The female angel nodded as she led the two into her study, and then proceeded to the back of her desk. "How is Croix doing?" Michael asked, and Alouette rolled her eyes before responding. "He's bored, wants to get out more, and is generally being a pain in the ass," she grumbled, and the older angel couldn't help but chuckle. "I figured as much. He was always one of the more active angels." "You're telling me, Seraph. Ah, here it is!" she called, gesturing towards an obscure panel on the back wall of her study. "I can't exactly make-out the lettering." "That's why I'm here," Saito called as he walked over to examine the panel. His eyes easily identified the markings, and he made a rather fast translation in his head before speaking. "_Veritas vos liberabit._" _The truth shall set you free,_ he mentally intoned as well, and the panel seemed to open and expand before him. The Oricaltos smiled as the great stone door opened. It was time to see the Authority. He stepped through the open doorway, and vanished into the brilliance.

* * *

**_Chambers of the Authority: Celestia_**

_I am here to see the Authority. __**Who are you?**_ a harsh voice demanded, and Saito nearly sighed aloud. _I am the Oricaltos. __**Prove it,**_ the voice sneered, and the mage opened his eyes to stare into the face of the man before him. The angel had a rather heavy build, with steel-gray eyes and brown hair. The mage's eyes narrowed to slits before turning gold with slit pupils. He then unfurled his wings rather menacingly. _Is THIS enough proof?_ he snarled, forcing the other man to back away. **_That doesn't prove anything. _****_YOU IDIOT! Look at his eyes!_** another voice demanded, and the angel focused long enough to realize that he had screwed-up. **Big** time. **_Please, forgive me, Oricaltos. I had no idea who you were until I saw your wings._** Saito rolled his eyes and sighed before turning back to the man in annoyance. _Do you know where the Authority is?_ he asked, and the other voice that he had heard answered him. **_Please follow me, master Saito. The Authority has been expecting you._**

The mage followed the voice, slightly intrigued. However, he stopped when the voice called to him again. **_Please wait here for a moment. The Authority will be with you shortly._ **_That works for me!_ Saito responded, gazing around the room. Everything was a brilliant white, and the Oricaltos was forced to close his eyes and revert them to normal in order to avoid eye-strain. _Well, well, WHAT do we have here?_ a voice called, causing Saito to sharply lift his head. _I am the Oricaltos, and I came here to ask a favor of you. You wish for your powers to be unsealed, correct?_ the voice called, slightly amused, and Saito nodded. The voice laughed easily. _I will give you my approval on one condition. __And what might that condition be? I need you to honestly relate the story of your journey to me, without leaving out a single detail. Is that all? Yes. Then you better make yourself comfortable, because this is going to take a while. You see, it all started when Baal..._

_Five hours later..._

_...And now I am here, relating my story to you. That is all that has happened to me. ...I see. And exactly WHY do you need my approval again?_ the voice asked, and Saito groaned in despair. _Just kidding!_ the voice responded with a laugh. _Come over here, and let me take a closer look at you._ The Oricaltos did as he was told, but kept his head lowered. He did **not** want to be blinded, as the Seraph had been so long ago. He felt a pair of eyes wandering all over him, and then he heard the voice chuckle. _Look at me, child. I promise that I won't blind you like I blinded Michael,_ it called teasingly, and the Oricaltos raised his head and opened his eyes. He blinked in shock, and then started. _But I thought... that all of the Authorities would be male? Yeah, __**right**,_ the woman chuckled, her eyes glittering merrily. The angelic Authority was **definitely** female, with a modestly curved figure, long black hair reaching to her waist, and glittering golden eyes that regarded the young man with respect. _Michael had the same look on his face when he found out._ The hybrid swallowed rather nervously before asking a tentative question. _How many others know? Other than you, Lamington, and Alouette? No one,_ she responded, giggling like an innocent little girl. _If Croix knew, then who knows what would happen?_ the Oricaltos countered, grinning at the image he was seeing in his head. The Authority shook her head, clearly amused as she gave the mage a shooing gesture. _You have my blessings. Now get out of here, Saito. __Yes, my lady_, he responded, dropping to one knee and bowing his head in respect. The woman slowly shook her head before gesturing for him to rise. _There is no need for that, Oricaltos. __Then please forgive me, my lady. Stop calling me that! You're making me feel old! Then what SHOULD I call you, lady? _The Authority sighed once before replying. It had been **ages** since she had told anyone her name. _Call me Maya, Oricaltos. __With pleasure._

* * *

_Back in the Sacred Altar, mere minutes had passed, rather than the hours that Saito had perceived.  
_  
"Welcome back, Saito," Michael called as the hybrid emerged, slightly dazed, from the brilliant portal. It sealed behind him, and the light died down as Saito shook his head, a hand pressed to his temple. "Ugh. How long was I in there?" he groaned, and the Seraph tilted his head to one side curiously before answering. "It's only been ten minutes. Why are you asking?" "Well, it felt like it was a lot longer," the mage replied, shaking his head before looking at Alouette. "How long have you known?" "Known what?" "That the Authority was female?" Saito asked, his voice dropping to a whisper. Alouette looked at the mage in shock before turning to the former Seraph. _**How did he know?** **Why don't you ask him and find out?**_ She asked, and the hybrid shook his head, chuckling. "The Authority told me after I asked how many knew." Alouette breathed a long sigh of relief. "Well, that's good to hear. Did you get what you came for?" she asked, and the Oricaltos nodded. "I now have the approval of two of the four Authorities. Now, I know that you would love for us to stay, but I have a promise to keep. Are you coming, Michael?" the mage called as he turned towards the Dimensional Gate, and the older angel smiled at Alouette one last time before responding. "I'll be right with you." "Don't take too long!" Saito called, causing the female angel to chuckle. "He never changes, does he?" she asked, and Lamington shook his head. "He has no real need to change. It was nice seeing you here, Alouette." "Take care of yourself," she called as the two entered the Dimensional Gate. She then offered a rather silent prayer. _**Authority, please watch over them.** I most certainly will, Alouette. Just take care of your affairs here, and I will make certain that the Oricaltos survives._

* * *

_Back into the Makai we go!  
**Dark Catacomb: Southern Plains: Makai Kingdom: Zetta's Netherworld**_**  
Time: It has been only twenty minutes since the Oricaltos returned from seeing the Authority**

"Are you _sure_ about this?" Maderas asked for the eighth consecutive time, and Saito shot Rozalin a look. The blonde-haired woman acknowledged him with a nod before hitting the Nosferatu upside the head. _SMACK! _"**OUCH!**" the vampire yelped, and Saito chuckled dryly. "Thank you, Rozalin." "You're welcome, Saito," she responded with a smile before descending down the next flight of stairs. They had been traveling downwards for several minutes, but there seemed to be no end in sight. Pram shuddered. _I wonder what's waiting for us down there. __I don't know, but I have a certain feeling that it won't be pleasant. You're probably right about that, Saito,_ the Oracle sighed as the group continued to descend. The darkness continued to grow deeper and deeper, and a few of the Overlords were growing more and more nervous as time passed, but they still did not find the body.

Eventually, the passage flattened out and came to an abrupt end before arriving at a pair of massive stone doors. Once again, Saito raised a hand, and everyone came to a halt. Rozalin visibly shuddered. "Are you really sure that we can do this, Saito?" The Oricaltos nodded once. "I'm sure that we can do this. It may not be easy, but it **can** be done." Everyone slowly nodded, and then Saito pushed open the doors before striding into the room. He was closely followed by Laharl, Adell, and the others. Once inside the room, Trenia and the other leaders gaped in awe. The chamber they had just entered was **huge**, with a high, vaulted ceiling and decorative floor tiles bearing demonic runes. Saito, however, ignored all of this in order to focus on the figure in the middle of the room. Zetta's material body was still there, and the Oricaltos was slightly impressed.

The figure stood nearly six feet tall, with flaming red hair that reached to the man's waist. He was wearing mainly black, with a crimson-lined coat flowing down his back. He had no visible wings, but that did not fool the mage. He knew that Zetta was capable of flight, he was just unsure how. As he approached the body, the head slowly lifted to face the hybrid, and then the eyes opened. In that instant, Saito realized that Baal was telling the truth about a dark spirit being contained in Zetta's body. The eyes were glowing violet, and darkness seemed to radiate from the figure as he stared at the mage. "I have been waiting for you to arrive, _Oricaltos_. Corbin gave me the task of guarding this vessel, and I will not fail him," the figure hissed, lifting his hands in an arcane gesture. The Oricaltos ignored the man's hand motions and instead drew his sword before allowing his wings and tail to become evident once more. "Enough playing around, idiot. Let's get this battle started." "Agreed," the figure sneered as he finished with the final gesture, releasing his spell.

Much to Laharl's surprise, the spell was not directed at Saito. Rather, it was directed at those surrounding the mage. While Laharl and those who had accompanied Saito to the Makai were unaffected, those who had lived in the Makai their entire lives **were**. When Saito realized what had happened, the Oricaltos began to issue orders once again, and they were obeyed without question. "Laharl, I need you and your father to keep Alexander off of my back. Adell, do you think that you and Rozalin could keep Drake out of the picture?" "Certainly, Saito." "Thank you. Etna, you and Flonne deal with Trenia. Priere?" "Should I try to deal with Pram?" the Alternate Overlord asked, and the mage nodded. "Culotte, help your older sister." "Yes sir!" "Michael, could you do me a favor? Make sure that Seedle has his hands full." "With pleasure, Saito," the Seraph replied grimly before drawing his sword. He was mildly surprised when Aramis joined him. "He insulted me earlier," the young Zombie Master explained, and Lamington nodded. "That works for me." "Marjoly? I need you and a few others to deal with Salome." "What about Zetta's body?" "Leave that to me," Saito responded, never taking his eyes from the figure before him. Marjoly shrugged before turning away. "If you insist."

Alexander's eyes had changed from turquoise to black as soon as the spell had finished. Clapping his hands together briefly, the God of Destruction conjured a sword out of thin air before grabbing it and lunging towards Saito. His charge was stopped short by Laharl, and he snarled at the younger Overlord. "Out of my way, kid!" "Never," the blue-haired _dhamphir_ retorted as he struck at the older man. Alexander barely managed to block, but then he felt a warning tingling on the back of his neck. He spun on his heels and raised his sword, just in time to block a stab from _Longius_. "Two-on-one, eh? We'll see how well you do while dodging lightning **and** my sword!" he snapped before conjuring a ball of lightning with his left hand. "Are you ready?"

Trenia's eyes had also turned black, and she had a blank expression on her face as she prepared to attack the mage. However, her path was barred by both Etna and Flonne. "Get out of my way," she snarled, but Flonne shook her head. "I can't allow you to distract the Oricaltos. He has enough to deal with already, and he ordered us to stop you." "Then I have no choice but to eliminate both of you!" the spirit of the _Tome_ snapped as she conjured several spheres of ice before launching them at the Fallen Angel and the demon. Etna yawned once before spinning her spear several times and deflecting the projectiles with the greatest of ease. "This is starting to annoy me," she called, and Flonne nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Priere and Culotte were having a difficult time trying to keep-up with the hyperactive Oracle. Pram's eyes had gone completely red, and she was moving far faster than normal, shifting as soon as Priere had a clear shot with her baton. It was annoying the hell out of the Alternate Overlord, and she finally rolled her eyes before calling-out her nastiest skill. "_Requiem Aeternam!_" The massive energy blast froze the Oracle in her tracks, and then she looked rather curiously at Priere. "You actually think that your attack can **stop** me?" she laughed, but it was cut short when she felt a pair of feet slam into her left wing. Priere smiled. "I'm not sure, but I know that you won't be able to run anymore thanks to my little brother! _Let's do this._"

King Drake was doing his best to hit the Oricaltos, but he was constantly being foiled by the Overlord of Veldime. Adell refused to allow the beast anywhere **near** Saito, and he had the Overlord constantly guarding himself, not just against his own fist attacks, but _also_ from the shots from his wife's gun. Simultaneously, Seedle was busy going head-to-head with Aramis, and, much to the surprise of all present, the former samurai was _losing_. Aramis grinned openly as he constantly blocked the Underlord's attacks. "Is that the best you can do?" he called mockingly, and Seedle fumed before resuming his attack. He was determined _not_ to lose this fight with some **kid**. When he finally managed to find a break in Aramis' attack pattern, he lunged forward, hoping to impale the young man...

...only to have his stroke blocked by a white-bladed broadsword. "I don't think so, Seedle," the Seraph chided, and the Underlord turned his fury against the head angel. However, he fared no better against Lamington than he had against Aramis. At approximately the same time, Salome and Marjoly were busy staring one-another down. "Get out of my way." "_Make me_," Marjoly sneered in reply, drawing her quarterstaff as Salome did the same. "What will it be? Will we go hand-to-hand, or do you want to start casting spells?" The blonde Overlord responded by casting an _Omega Fire_ at Saito, but it dissipated before reaching it's target. Marjoly rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine then," she muttered under her breath as she nerved herself to cast as many spells as possible, without killing either of them in the process.

While the battles were raging around the rest of the room, the center was calm. It seemed as-if a hurricane of sorts had formed, with Saito and the dark spirit residing in the eye. However, that would change in an instant. The dark spirit reached down to his belt and slowly drew an irregular hilt. Hitting a button, he ignited the violet beam-saber, and smiled wickedly. "This thing will make mincemeat out of your sword." "Yeah, **right**," Saito snorted as he slid his left foot forwards. "_Let's go,_" he called, just before he charged. The two met over the exact center of the room, and the clash caused all of the walls to tremble. Rozalin paused to reload her gun and looked into the center of the room, and her jaw dropped in amazement. The two were moving so fast that they were practically invisible to the naked eye. Their swords were constantly clashing, traditional blade against beam-saber. However, the battle came to a rather abrupt halt when Saito stopped in the middle of his charge and sheathed his weapon. The dark spirit also stopped and stared at the mage, slightly puzzled. "What are you doing?" he asked, but the Oricaltos ignored the demon as he reached-up and tugged at an invisible lapel. In an instant, a rather ominous jet-black trench coat had materialized over the mage's slender form, and he smiled as he reached into the left side of his coat with his right hand before pulling out a gun. The dark spirit's eyes widened once he laid eyes on the weapon. It was anything **but** normal. Made from what appeared to be an unknown metal, the gun glowed a brilliant blue in the mage's hand. The Oricaltos sneered. "It's time that I introduce you to _Radiance_, punk. _May the LORD have mercy upon their poor souls, for we most certainly will not. __**Amen**,_" the mage intoned as he pulled the trigger, putting a bullet into the demon's forehead.

The dark spirit screamed and fell to his knees before collapsing to the floor. Then, the spirit rose from the body, and glared at the Oricaltos. "_I may have failed to protect the body, but I __**will** destroy you!_" it snarled, once again drawing his weapon. The spirit had taken-on the appearance of Zetta's body, with one noticeable difference: wherever there had been red on the **real** Overlord, there was violet on the dark spirit. "_My name is Jeroboam, and I exist only to serve the Master. You will pay for interfering with his plans._" "**_Not a chance in Hell!_**" another voice called, and the Oricaltos smiled as he turned to look at the spirit of Zetta. "Get back into your body, Overlord. I will deal with this nuisance." "**_Fine with me_**," Zetta responded with a nod before shooting forward. The spirit _also_ lunged, only to be turned-back by the light surrounding the mage's body. With a look of disdain, Saito tugged the lapel of his coat, causing it to vanish once more. He then bowed his head, closed his eyes, and cast his arms out to his sides as he began to concentrate. He then began his incantation.

* * *

"_Authorities, I beg you, hear my call.  
I have worked so hard for so long,  
and my loyalty has never wavered.  
I ask that you release these chains,  
and unbind this servant of yours,  
so that he might do Your will.  
Release these chains,  
loosen the seal,  
and grant me the power  
that is rightfully mine!"_

* * *

As the chant ended, Pram and the others from the Makai collapsed rather painfully. The Oracle was the first to rise unsteadily to her feet, both hands gripping her skull. "Oh, my aching head. What happened to me?" she groaned, and Priere looked at the woman, slightly puzzled. "You mean that you **don't** remember?" "No," the young woman sadly admitted, shaking her head and wincing as she flexed her wings. "Tell me what happened." "Well, to put things simply, the darkness turned you against Saito and the rest of us." Pram was horrified, and she looked around in alarm. "What about the others? Were there any casualties?" "Well, Laharl has a few lightning burns, Salome is going to have a pounding headache when she wakes-up, Alexander has a fractured kneecap, Trenia has a few Prinny-shaped burns, and almost everyone has suffered minor sword cuts and bruises. Other than that, there are no other serious injuries." "Well, that's a relief," Pram sighed, but then her eyes were drawn to the center of the room, and they widened in shock and surprise. Priere noted the look on her face, and was puzzled. "What are you looking at?" she asked before turning around, and then she saw what had caused that look. It was Saito, and he was, well, **different**. 

For starters, his hair was no longer short. Instead, it was now hanging down past his waist, rippling and shifting. It had also changed colors, going from a brilliant auburn to a combination of the near-flaming color and silver, mixed together in a living web. Saito's eyes had reverted to their perfect state, golden in color with slit pupils, and his hands had become claws once again. A jet-black tail that was two-thirds of the mage's height stretched behind him, sweeping from side to side in anticipation. His wings, however, had undergone the most dramatic change. Rather than being covered in black and gold scales, they were now covered in red-gold **feathers**. "_Phoenix_," Pram whispered in awe. "I've only heard of this power, but I never witnessed it before." Everyone was staring in amazement, and even Jeroboam was impressed. "_It looks pretty cool, but can you do anything with it?_" "_Of course I can, you idiot. And YOU will be the first to feel how painful my attacks can be in this form. TSUNUM!_" the mage roared, flinging his hand, palm-outward, in the direction of the dark spirit. The silver fireballs boiled from the mage's palm, followed shortly by a number of **gold** fireballs. Jeroboam screamed in agony, but the assault had only begun.

Laharl and the others watched in amazement as Saito pushed his new form to its limits. He moved so fast that no one could follow him, except by the pattern of slashes that materialized on Jeroboam's body. The dark spirit was in near-constant agony, and he just wanted it all to end. "_I've had enough, Oricaltos! You have proved your point. Now let me go!_" Saito came to an abrupt stop right in front of the man, his eyes glittering with a dangerous light. "_Fine then. I will release you. Fiery Rebirth!_" the Oricaltos roared as he lunged forward, drawing his sword and cutting the evil spirit down in a single instant. "_Ashes to ashes, dust to dust._ Amen," he intoned, returning to his normal state and sheathing his weapon before turning and extending a hand to the newly-reborn Overlord. "Welcome back, Zetta." "It's good to be myself again," the man chuckled, opening acid-green eyes to look around. He rubbed the place where Saito had shot the dark spirit, and was relieved to find no hole there. "Thanks for the help, all of you." "You're welcome, Zetta!" Trenia called rather happily as she rushed to give the Oricaltos a hug. "How did you do it?" she asked, and Saito smiled before gesturing to the book. "I gave Jeroboam a choice, and he chose to continue his existence." "Oh, thank you!" she cried, squeezing him rather tightly. "Need...air...here...Trenia." "Oops, sorry about that," she said rather quickly before letting the mage go. Saito dropped to one knee, but soon rose to his feet, a smile on his face as he shook his head. "Man, Corbin is **not** going to be happy about this..."

* * *

_Holy smokes! **THAT** was unexpected! Anyway, let's go check-in with Baal, and see how Corbin is taking the news...  
**On board the ****Yoshitsuna: Makai Kingdom: Zetta's Netherworld**_

"DAMN HIM!" Corbin yelled, pounding his hands onto the desk in anger and rage. He had taken control of the body he shared with Baal, and he had reverted it to the great stone figure. He was fuming, and cursed luridly in several languages, all curses being directed at the hated Oricaltos. Internally, however, Baal was rejoicing. _YAHOO! At long last, my next task is accomplished! Now, what else can I do to help Saito?_ he wondered, trying to come-up with another way to aid the mage. On the other hand, Corbin was already planning his next move, and he had contacted an ally deep in the past. "Chiasmus?" "Yes, my liege?" "I need you to dispose of a certain red-haired young woman in your time period." "...Does this have anything to do with that bratty demon-hunter from _La Pucelle_?" "Yes." "Then I will deal with her with pleasure, my lord." "Thank you, Chiasmus. Don't fail me." "Yes sir." The true Lord of Terror smiled wickedly as he cut the connection. **_Saito had better think fast if he wants to save the Alternate Overlord, or else he will lose her forever!_**

* * *

**Author's note1:** Well, THAT was rather fun! I haven't written like that in a **long** time... Anyway, drop me a PM or review if you are having trouble understanding anything. I especially like the way that Saito's latest form came out, so tell me what you think about it! 

What in the hell is Corbin trying to do? Why is he going after Priere all of a sudden, rather than focusing on Saito? What is so important about this young woman that the Lord of Terror is trying so desperately to change? And what will happen when the Oricaltos finds-out about Corbin's plans? Find out in my next chapter, **Diving into the Past**. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.


	7. Chapter 6: Diving into the Past

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill by now.  
**Extraneous:** Ditto.

* * *

_Once the body had been located,  
the Oricaltos briefly departed from his allies.  
The reason? He needed to see the Authority  
in Celestia, in order to unseal another portion  
of his full and terrible power.  
Upon his successful return,  
the group descended into the catacombs.  
The passage was long and dangerous,  
but the allies managed to survive.  
That is, until they reached the last chamber,  
and then ALL Hell broke loose.  
Corbin's influence turned those of the Makai  
against the Oricaltos, but he was well defended  
by his allies.  
In the end, a new form was revealed,  
and the dark spirit was banished,  
allowing Zetta to return to his body.  
**-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines CLXXX-CXCVI**_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Diving into the Past**  
_What happened before:_

Baal was correct when he gave Saito the location. However, before the Oricaltos entered, he decided to take a trip to Celestia, in order to speak with the Authority. It took little time for him to return, with a few new powers to boot, and he led his allies into the catacombs to confront the dark spirit occupying Zetta's body. Unfortunately, as soon as the battle began, Pram and the others from the Makai were turned against Saito. While Laharl and the others were busy keeping Alexander, Seedle, and the others off of Saito's back, the Oricaltos dealt with the dark spirit, Jeroboam. In the end, the spirit was cast from Zetta's body, and Saito released his new powers, resulting in his reversion to the terrifyingly powerful _Phoenix_ form. He made short work of Jeroboam without breaking a sweat, and the dark spirit eventually made a deal with the mage in order to continue existing. In exchange for being spared, Jeroboam became the spirit of the _Sacred Tome_, allowing Trenia to remain free. To say the least, Corbin was furious, but he already had a plan to get-back at the mage. It involved altering the past, and was actually a desperate gamble to distract the mage from his **real** intentions...

* * *

**_Dark Catacomb: Southern Plains: Makai Kingdom: Zetta's Netherworld  
_Time:** **One hour has passed since the battle for Zetta's body ended**

"So, what do we do next?" Setsuna asked, and Pram shrugged in response. "I have no clue. I never thought that we would get to this point." Seedle raised an eyebrow at **that** comment, and then he spoke. "You never thought that we could regain Zetta's body?" he asked incredulously, and the Oracle sighed before slowly shaking her head. "It isn't that, Seedle. It's just that I never expected that we would get it done so quickly, that's all." "Well, we could always make a few free-dungeons and go explore them," Zetta suggested, but Trenia scoffed at the idea. "No thanks, Zetta. I would rather take my chances here in the real world than try my hand at a dungeon that could possibly kill me." The two continued bickering back and forth, and the Oricaltos couldn't help but smile.

Priere was sitting apart from the others, hugging her knees to her chest. She was busy reflecting on the events that made her the Alternate Overlord when she suddenly cried out in alarm. Croix looked over at Priere, and then he drew back in surprise. He blinked rapidly in order to make certain that his eyes were not deceiving him. She appeared to be fading in and out of sight, and this worried the ex-demon hunter. He hurried over and knelt at Priere's left side. "What's happening to you?" he asked worriedly, and the Alternate Overlord was slow in answering. "I do... I don't know. All of a sudden, I can't remember it, Croix!" "Remember what?" he asked, slightly puzzled. "Remember turning into a demon! It's as if..." She blinked rather rapidly and then softly moaned, clutching her skull and shaking her head. When she looked at Croix again, the man drew back, stunned. Her horns had disappeared, her eyes were light-brown, and the rest of her body was rapidly fading away. "Please, Croix...Remember...what...I am," she managed to whisper before vanishing completely. But as Croix turned to speak with the Oricaltos, the angel's eyes clouded over, and he collapsed with a groan. Simultaneously, the other remaining members of _La Pucelle_ also collapsed, and **this **did not go unnoticed by the Oricaltos. He looked around, rather disturbed.

The first thing he noticed was that both Éclair and Homard were clutching their skulls and moaning aloud. He also noted that Éclair was flickering between her light and dark forms, and that worried the mage. In addition, they were both growing transparent, which made the Oricaltos VERY suspicious. _Something strange is going on here, and I have a feeling that this isn't a good thing_, he thought as his gaze wandered from the duo to Alouette. She was furiously shaking her head, as if to deny some horrible truth. Culotte was softly moaning, and Croix was rising rather unsteadily to his feet. Then, Saito noticed something that chilled him to the core. Priere was **gone**, as if she had never existed. Laharl slightly kneaded his temples as he looked around, but then he noticed the same thing. Red eyes met blue eyes, and both men came to the same conclusion, just as Baal mentally contacted the _diralec_.

_SAITO! I know what Corbin is planning to do! He's planning to alter the past __so that Priere never becomes the Alternate Overlord,_ Saito finished, nearly swearing aloud. _DAMN HIM! What happened, Saito? __**She's already gone, Baal, and if we lose her,** then you also lose the remaining members of La Pucelle,_ the demon concluded, much to his annoyance. _**Correct. As a matter-of-fact, Homard and Éclair are already fading,** and I'm sure that Alouette and Croix have both forgotten who all of you are. __It hasn't come to that yet, but it may soon. Thanks for the info, Baal. We'll keep you posted. As always, Saito. Be careful._

"**PRAM!**" the Oricaltos roared, and the Oracle jumped slightly before turning to look at him. "Don't do that!" she exclaimed, but the rest of her tirade was cut-off by the mage. "I need you to tell me the exact date when Priere became a demon." "But why do you need..." She trailed-off when she saw the desperate look on Saito's face, and her jaw clenched. "I'm on it." "Good," Saito sighed, rubbing at his temples. He then turned to the Seraph. "Do you happen to know of anyone who had a grudge against Priere in the past?" he inquired, and Lamington scratched his head before answering. "There's only one angel that I can think of, but I can't remember his name. I remember what he looked like, though." "Well, we have to start somewhere. Can you describe him for us?" "Naturally," the head angel responded. "He had fiery red hair, and nearly black eyes. Also, if my memory is correct, then he was Vulcanus' elder brother."

"**Chiasmus**," Alouette managed to gasp out, and Saito hurried to assist her, only to be staring down the barrel of Croix's shotgun. Slowly lifting his head, the Oricaltos stared into the man's eyes. There was absolutely no hint of recognition in them, and it was then that Saito found himself reflecting on Baal's words, finding them to be all **too** true. _I'm sure that Alouette and Croix have both forgotten who all of you are. __You really weren't kidding, Baal,_ Saito thought as he tried to find a way to peacefully defuse the situation. Michael looked over in alarm, and he was about to step-in when he saw the mage's eyes narrow. Wisely, he chose to back down, and received a small nod of thanks from Saito. Then, the mage's eyes locked with those of Croix, and turned gold. The man's eyes grew impossibly wide as he nearly lost his grip on the gun and stumbled backwards. "What **are** you?" he demanded, and Saito gave a short, harsh laugh. "I am a hybrid, a healer, and a fighter. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you leave me no choice, Croix Raoul."

The angel froze dead in his tracks, and the gun dropped from his nerveless fingers in shock. "How do you know my name?" he asked, rather incredulous, and Alouette sighed before reaching into her pack, pulling out a copy of the Bible, and then hitting Croix upside the head with it. "YOUCH! What was _that_ for, Alouette?" Croix whined, rubbing the sizable lump on the back of his head. The blonde angel narrowed her eyes as she stared at the man she had chosen to marry. "_That_, Croix, was for asking an idiotic question when you should really be focusing on trying to remember **Priere!**" the former Maiden of Light snapped, and Croix seemed to freeze upon hearing that name.

He paused to knead his temples, and it was at that point that both Homard and Dark Éclair vanished. He squeezed his eyes shut before slowly shaking his head as he tried to recall something concrete, but then the Oracle called to Saito, jogging Croix's memory. "Oricaltos! The exact date was June 9, 1865." The Oricaltos looked at his watch in alarm. "That's the date today, but it's the wrong year," he mused silently, no longer paying attention to Croix. The angel's eyes shot wide open as everything came flooding back to him, but then his eyes narrowed again. "It was Chiasmus, all right." Saito turned and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What did you just say?" he asked, and Croix responded once again. "It was definitely Chiasmus." "Are you sure about that?" Alouette asked skeptically, and Croix nodded. "I'm positive that it was him, Maiden of Light. I remember **everything** now," the angel responded, his eyes glittering coldly.

"What went wrong?" Alouette asked, and Croix sadly shook his head before responding. "We ran into him and a large contingent of angels on the tenth level of a 300 Dark-Energy Index Hell. We also learned something rather nasty about him too." "What was that?" Saito asked, and the angel responded easily. "Apparently, Chiasmus was an Apostate," he stated, and Alouette froze. "Are you positive, Croix?" she asked tentatively, and he nodded slowly. "I'm certain, Alouette. Why are you asking me that?" he inquired, but the former Maiden of Light was already turning away, her face marked by profound sadness. "Noir was right," she whispered, and Lamington raised a curious eyebrow. "What did you just say?" he asked, but Alouette completely ignored the older angel. "I should have listened to him. I should have believed him," she whispered, falling to her hands and knees, weeping.

Now _this_ alarmed Saito, and he rushed over to be at her side. "What happened? Please tell me what went wrong," he pleaded, and Alouette slowly raised her tear-stained face to gaze at the Oricaltos. "Noir knew that Chiasmus wasan Apostate, but I refused to believe him. Therefore, it's partially **my** fault that Priere is gone," she sobbed, and the Oricaltos slowly stroked her hair, comforting the young woman. "Stop blaming yourself, Alouette. It wasn't really your fault. However, I promise you that we will _not_ allow Chiasmus to win." Alouette wiped the tears away from her eyes as she looked into those of the Oricaltos, seeing an intense determination within them. "He will _not_ escape us," Saito snarled as he rose before helping Alouette to her feet. He then turned to look at Pram. "Oracle?" "No need to ask," she responded, opening a Time Gate without a second thought. Saito's eyes hardened as he strode through, followed by the rest of his allies. _Hang in there, Alternate Overlord. We're coming to help._

* * *

_Now it's gonna get ugly! But for the time being, let's head back to see EXACTLY what happened on that day...  
**Sacred Altar: Celestia**_**  
Date: June 9, 1865**

The Seraph sighed aloud as she rubbed her temples, trying to banish an oncoming headache. It had been an incredibly tiring day of refusing to allow the other angels to launch any sort of attacks against demons. She had worked **very** hard to establish the fragile balance, and she did not wish to see it shattered so easily. There was a brief knock on her door, and the slender angel mustered her arguments before calling out. "It's open." The door opened and, much to her surprise, a raven-haired man strode into the room before dropping to one knee in a gesture of sincere respect. "Please forgive me, my lady. It's just that I have some rather important news to deliver that pertains to a certain demon hunter..." The Seraph slowly shook her head, a small smile creeping onto her face as she gestured for the man to rise. "There is no need to be so formal with me, Noir. Now, what is it about Prier that is bugging you so much?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice, and Noir looked up in alarm. "Lady Poitrenne! This is **not** a laughing matter!" he snapped, and the Seraph laughed lightly. "I know that, my young friend," she responded with a knowing smile. "I was just seeing if you were paying attention. Please, continue with your report." "As you wish, Seraph."

"As you may already know, Prier is well on her way to becoming a demon." Poitrenne nodded in acknowledgment. "...Go on." "Well, I was wondering if I could help her out a little bit..." The Seraph tilted her head to one side, intrigued. "Why do you want to help her?" she asked, and the former half-demon shrugged. "She allowed me to come here by praying for me as I lay dying. I thought I might as well help her in one of the ways that I know how." "Hmm... You have a good point there. Permission granted." "**Really?**" Noir exclaimed, lifting his slate-gray eyes to meet the crystal-blue ones of the Seraph as he rose to his feet, and Poitrenne smiled gently. "Really. Now, before you go rushing-off, I need your honest opinion on something..."

"What is it?" the man asked, slightly puzzled. "What do you think about Chiasmus?" Noir froze for a few seconds, but then he started again. "_Chiasmus?_ I don't know about you, but I personally think that the guy is bad news. I think he might even be an Apostate!" Poitrenne raised an eyebrow at this comment before briefly nodding and making a shooing gesture. "You are dismissed, Noir. May the Authority watch over you." "And may She watch over you as well," Noir responded, bowing once more before straightening. He then turned towards the exit...

...only to find his way barred by two slender young women. "And exactly _where_ do you think you are going?" the blonde one snapped at him, her eyes narrowed to slits. "Let him go, Alouette," Poitrenne called sternly. "I already dismissed him." "Yes, Seraph Poitrenne," Alouette responded with a sigh as she stepped out of the man's way. However, once he was well out of earshot, the normally calm angel exploded with all of the subtlety of a nuclear blast. "How can you stand him? I mean, for the love of all, he was the head of the Church of the Divine Mother! He tried to kill us multiple times, even going as far as attempting to raise Calamity!" "But he served his purpose in the end, and he was rewarded, right?" the other woman chimed-in, and Poitrenne smiled at Alouette's red-haired companion. "Correct, Angelique. He was rewarded for his services in helping to eliminate the Dark Prince." "But..."

Alouette started to speak, but she was cut-off when a fiery-haired angel stormed into the room. "Lady Poitrenne, I have a request," he stated rather bluntly, and the Seraph's eyes narrowed. She was clearly unamused. "I expressly _forbid_ you to approach any of the Dimensional Gates, Chiasmus. I will **not** allow you to hunt any demons!" she snapped, and then raised a hand to stop the man from protesting. "I _am_ the Seraph here, and I _will_ be obeyed! If you do **not** obey me, then I will be forced to ask the Authority to permanently strip you of your rank and powers. Understand _this_, Chiasmus: Demons are required to maintain the balance, no matter **how** evil they seem to be." The man's nearly black eyes narrowed to slits, and then he stomped out of the room, cursing under his breath.

When he had gone, the Seraph let out a sigh of relief before turning to look at the Maiden of Light. "What do you think about the rumors that say Chiasmus is actually an Apostate?" she asked, and Alouette snorted in disdain. "That's impossible. He is **far** too loyal to you my lady." Poitrenne then turned to Angelique, and the red-haired maiden shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really know for sure. Either way, his obsession with demons is really scary." The Seraph nodded in agreement, and Alouette found herself nodding as well. "Still, I can't help but have this awful feeling that he might go and do something extremely brash..."

"You mean something like altering history to achieve his goals? I hate to break it to you, but he's already done that," a new voice responded from the doorway, and all three women turned to face it. Angelique could not keep her eyes from going wide with shock at seeing the figures before her, and Alouette's jaw was now hanging open. The one who spoke, the auburn-haired man standing in the doorway, had appeared out of nowhere. In addition, he was backed by several demons and, much to Poitrenne's surprise, a few angels as well. The Seraph raised a quizzical eyebrow when the young man bowed to her. "Rise, my young friend, and tell us why you are here."

"We are here, holy one, to make certain that history remains unchanged," a familiar voice answered from behind the man, and the female Seraph smiled as she spotted the man's trademark hair. "Ah, my dear Paladin Lamington. I take it that you are doing well, Michael?" she asked, and the silver-eyed man chuckled. "I have never been better in my entire life, Seraph Poitrenne." He was about to continue when the mage coughed lightly, interrupting his speech. "I know how much you would love to chat, Lamington, but _please_ remember that we have a job to do," he whined slightly, and Poitrenne slowly shook her head, an amused smile appearing on her face. "I take it that you are the Oricaltos, then?" she asked, and Saito nodded once before dropping to one knee in supplication. "We have discovered that Chiasmus is an Apostate, and we wish to make certain that our timeline remains unchanged." "Why is that? Who disappeared?" Poitrenne asked, alarmed, and Saito barely managed to choke out the woman's name. "**Priere.**"

The Seraph's face suddenly became grave, and she looked to Lamington for confirmation. The man slowly nodded his head, and her brow furrowed in anger. "He deceived me. He dared to lie to my face when I asked about his activities, and he has maintained a personal army despite my repeated orders to have it disbanded! Now he has done this." She massaged her temples, and then raised her eyes to stare at her trusted second-in-command. "Lamington, **bring me his head**," she snarled, and the man bowed deeply to her. "It shall be done as you wish, Lady Poitrenne. May the Authority watch over you, and may She have pity on that foolish Apostate," he intoned, and Saito smiled rather wickedly. "If you don't mind, Michael, I have two more prayers to add." "Go right ahead, Saito." The Oricaltos took a deep breath, and then he began the intonation. "_Before the Grace of God go I,_ _and may His eternal light forever shine upon us,_" the others joined in, causing the mage to smile. "_May the LORD have mercy upon their poor souls, for we most certainly will not._ **_AMEN._**"

* * *

**Author's note1:** There is an old saying that goes something like this: _Hell hath no fury like women scorned._ Apparently, they missed the second part of the proverb, which clearly stated that the Oricaltos is **far** worse when he is pissed. What will happen when Saito and his allies catch-up with Noir and Chiasmus? Is Priere gone for good, or will she return to the mage? And what about the rest of _La Pucelle_? Find out in my next chapter, **The Dark Side of Prier**. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you. 


	8. Chapter 7: The Dark Side of Prier

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill by now  
**Extraneous:** Ditto

* * *

_With one problem solved, another one arose,  
this time, involving the Alternate Overlord.  
Apparently, something went wrong in the past,  
causing her to disappear.  
It was now up to the Oricaltos and his allies  
to set history straight once again...  
**-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines CXCVII-CCII**_

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Dark Side of Prier  
**_Last time on Summons of an Oracle:_

While Zetta and the others were debating what to do next, Priere was busy reflecting on her past. That is, until she vanished, causing the Oricaltos to start in alarm. She wasn't the only one, as Homard and Éclair soon followed. While Croix was trying to remember what had happened, Saito had the Oracle look-up the exact date of the occurrence. As it turned out, the day was right, the year was wrong. Something was happening in the past, and when Croix finally remembered, it came as a shock to all. Chiasmus was an Apostate, that is to say, a dark angel. He was determined to eliminate the Alternate Overlord in exchange for power, and as the Oricaltos and his allies followed the disturbance, it soon came to affect more and more people. Eventually, news of the man's betrayal reached the ears of Poitrenne, the woman who was Seraph at the time. In a fit of righteous anger, she ordered for Lamington and his allies to bring her the traitor's head. Saito smiled to himself before they departed. It was payback time. Like the old saying goes: _Revenge is a dish that is best served cold..._

* * *

_**Floor 9 (**of 10**): 300 Dark-Energy Index Hell: Unknown Fear (**map**): Paprica  
**_**Date: June 9, 1865**

"Now, explain to me one more time exactly WHY we need to be here at this time?" Alexander grumbled, only to have Saito rather forcibly clamp a hand over his mouth. _Keep quiet, Alexander! If we are discovered too early, then the results could be disastrous..._ the Oricaltos warned as he slowly let go of the God of Destruction. Alexander, much to the relief of all present, did not immediately turn against the mage. Everyone was crouched behind an irregular ridge on the south side of the large cavern, and the Oricaltos kept casting nervous glances towards one of the far alcoves. "Are you positive that we won't be seen?" Saito whispered to Croix, and the man nodded in response. "I'm certain that _we_ never saw you. However, I'm not too sure about **them**," he replied, gesturing towards the two figures in the center of the room.

The dark-haired half-snake, commonly referred to as a Lamia, looked over at the ridge. She was rather curious, but she knew that it would be better if she saved her strength for the upcoming fight. Turning, she softly whispered to her companion, a violet-haired, immodestly dressed Succubus. The demon nodded at her friend's comment before spreading her black wings and drifting back towards the ridge. She glided backwards, keeping her eyes on the far side of the room, until her back hit the rock outcropping. Then, as if she sensed that there were others on the opposite side of the ridge, she asked three rather pointed questions. "Who are you? _What_ are you? And most importantly, **why** are you here?" she demanded, and then fell deathly quiet when Saito responded. "I am the one known as the Oricaltos. I am a hybrid of four parts, and **my** exact reason for being here, young lady, is to insure that history remains _unchanged_." The demon's eyes went wide as she scrambled away from the ridge. _Please...Forgive me,_ she mentally pleaded, and the mage chuckled. _What is there to forgive? You were just being curious. Thank you for understanding, sir. You're welcome,_ Saito responded with a smile, and then his grin widened as he noticed a light appearing in the alcove he had been watching. _La Pucelle_ had arrived, just as Croix had predicted.

* * *

_**Following Prier: Floor 9 (**of 10**): 300 Dark-Energy Index Hell**_

_Here we go again,_ a voice in the back of Prier's mind called with a sigh, and the red-haired woman rolled her eyes at the comment before turning to her companions. "Father Salade? How many demons can you sense on this floor?" The sixty-five year-old priest furrowed his brow in concentration as he allowed his awareness to stretch into the room. It permeated the cavern, but seemed to avoid the area behind an irregular-looking ridge, and he frowned slightly before opening his eyes. "I sense at least two demons out in the open, but there may be more behind the ridge," he answered, rubbing his temples. "Why do you say that?" Croix asked, loading his shotgun, and the older man shook his head. "Something seemed to be blocking my awareness back there, but I can't be certain." "All right," Prier called before motioning to two other members of the group. "Homard, Éclair, I want the two of you to investigate what's behind that ridge." The two demon-hunters nodded and then moved-out of the alcove. "Croix, I want you to help me purify the two demons that we **know** are there. Father Salade? I need you and Culotte to get rid of those Dark Portals. See if you can create a Multi-Miracle or two. Everyone understand what they are doing?" The others nodded, and then they went their separate ways.

Externally, the lead demon-hunter of _La Pucelle_ appeared to be normal. _Internally_, however, Prier was in an entirely different situation. You see, when the timeline became skewed and the Alternate Overlord's body disappeared in Saito's time, her soul was sent to occupy her body in the past. **Unfortunately**, thing's didn't exactly work out, and Priere's soul became a part of her human form's subconscious. She had the occasional tendency to surface, but as more time passed, it became harder and harder for her. Priere was desperate, and she reached-out in the only way that she could: through the use of telepathy. _Can anyone hear me?_ she called rather bitterly, not expecting a response. Imagine her surprise when someone actually _heard_ her plea, and responded in kind. She received an even greater shock when she discovered exactly **who** had responded to her call. _PRIERE? Is that really you?_ She froze for a few seconds, and then started. _Saito! I thought you would never come! ME? Never come? Are you out of your mind? Where are you guys right now? We are currently sitting in a cloaked position behind the main ridge. By the way, who's mind did I sense trying to penetrate my defenses? That was Father Salade. He's the head of the Church of the Divine Maiden. However, enough about him. I suggest that you guys move, right away. Umm... Why? Because, you idiot, I sent Homard and Éclair to scout your location. They won't see us. Trust me._

While Culotte was busy setting-up the Multi-Miracle, Father Salade joined Éclair and Homard as they circled the ridge. Seeing nothing, Homard heaved a sigh of relief, but Salade frowned slightly. "Something is off," he muttered, causing Homard to look at him rather strangely. "What are you talking about, Father?" Éclair asked, slightly puzzled. "I don't see anything wrong." "Well, appearances can be **quite** deceiving. Also, if there is nothing here, then why was my mind blocked from seeing this space? Something is different here, and I am determined to figure out what it is," he swore, cocking his right fist as he stared into the darkness of the mage's barrier. A soft white light appeared around his fist, growing in brilliance with each passing second. Just as he finished charging-up for his _Holy Punch_ attack, Culotte called to him. "Father Salade? I need you to check this configuration for me." The original founder of the Church of the Divine Maiden slowly lowered his fist before giving the black area a rather hard stare. Just inside the barrier, the Oricaltos was already braced to catch the blow, should the man proceed in his attack. Lightly sighing, the man then turned away, much to the collective relief of the remainder of Saito's allies. The Oricaltos raised an eyebrow as he looked over at Croix. _Will Salade be coming back?_ Saito asked, and the angel shook his head. _**No. After the two demons were purified and defeated, we merely proceeded to the next floor.** Where will the portal drop them? **Well, since it's on the opposite side of the ridge from our current position, that is where it will drop them.**GOOD! I want to remain undetected for as long as possible.** Understood, sir.**_

Salade checked the configuration twice with a rather critical eye before turning and giving Culotte an approving nod. "Do you want to start this, or should I?" "Go right ahead, Father Salade," Prier's brother replied with a grin, gesturing to the first Dark Portal. "Knock yourself out." The older man shook his head before slowly raising his hands. _Kids these days_, he thought to himself before bellowing a single word. "**PURIFY!**" A brilliant white light leapt from his hands and slammed into the Dark Portal, setting-off a chain reaction that ended when the final portal turned white, indicating a successful purification. Culotte looked at the end results and lightly whistled. "Let's see what happened: one _Requiem_ (wind elemental), one _Gospel_ (ice elemental), two _Evangel_s (healing for allies, purification for enemies), and you finished with one _Ragnarök_ (holy elemental). **Man**, I wish I could do that!" "One of these days, you will, Culotte," Prier called. "Now get over here and help me finish this fight!" "Yes Prier!" he called happily before hurrying to help his elder sibling defeat the Succubus.

_Two minutes later..._

"_Royal Thunder!_" Éclair called, casting the violet lightning bolt at the Lamia. The brunette half-snake never saw it coming, as she was too focused on trying to knock Culotte through the nearest wall. The only thing she noticed was a glimpse of something violet hurtling towards her before the projectile struck, knocking her out. The Succubus had already been defeated by _Double-Team_, Culotte and Prier's combination technique. The red-haired woman heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the alcove flash twice, indicating that both demons had been successfully converted into allies. "Well, it looks like it's time to descend once more," she said cheerfully, and Croix nodded once in agreement before reloading his shotgun. "Let's go."

* * *

_We now head down to the final floor, where Saito, Prier, and the others find a rather unusual scene being played-out before them...  
**Following Saito&Co: Floor 10 (**of 10**): 300 Dark-Energy Index Hell**_

"I absolutely _refuse_ to yield to you, Chiasmus!" Saito heard as he dropped into the final cavern. Raising his head, he peered over the ridge, only to stare in amusement at the scene unfolding before him.

Prier was the first one to step out of the portal, and then Croix and Father Salade moved to her left and right, flanking her. They were followed by Éclair, Homard, Culotte, and the two demons who had been captured and converted. Croix raised an amused eyebrow, while Salade and the others could not help but stare at the unfolding sequence of events with a mixture of bewilderment and amusement.

Three absolutely **massive** Demon Overlords were cowering behind a rather calm-looking, raven-haired angel. Beyond these four, the members of _La Pucelle_ could make out at least a dozen angels, lead by a fiery-haired man with black eyes. At long last, Saito got his first good look at the Apostate. Chiasmus sneered at the lone angel before him. "Do you actually think that you can stop me, _Noir_?" he snarled contemptuously, causing Prier to freeze in shock and surprise. "HA! Without any allies, **half-breed**, you don't stand a chance!" Noir's eyes narrowed in anger as he reached towards the sword at his waist. "Even if I die here, I am still taking some of you down with me," he stated confidently, shifting his stance to prepare for any attacks. "**I** actually have Poitrenne's approval for what I am going to do here, while **you** don't. If you kill me and she finds-out about it, then she will be hunting you down for the rest of your miserable life!" Chiasmus allowed this to sink-in a little before laughing maniacally. "She'll never know! I'll just lie to her, like I always have! And even if she **did** manage to discover that I am an Apostate, then it would already be **far** too late!"

"I honestly hate to interrupt you here, but you **really** need to get your facts straight before you start ranting and raving," a new voice called, causing Chiasmus and his allies to crane their necks in order to see him, while Noir and the members of _La Pucelle_ merely had to turn around and look towards the top of the ridge. "Excuse me?" Chiasmus snapped, and the man merely shook his head. "What did he promise you, brother of Vulcanus?" he asked, almost **too** casually. Chiasmus' mind suddenly kicked into overdrive as he tried to think of any way to deceive this newcomer. "Uh, who are you talking about?" he inquired, a false sense of innocence creeping into his voice. Unfortunately, this did not fool the man, and he merely narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the black-eyed angel. "You know **exactly** who I am talking about, _Apostate_!" the man snapped, his eyes shifting from light-blue to a brilliant gold. "_What did Corbin promise you?_" he rumbled, and the dark angel finally relented. "He promised to make me the Seraph. Now, exactly **why** did you interrupt me again?" he snapped, and the man merely shrugged once before giving Chiasmus a diabolic smile. "_She knows._" "_WHAT?_ HOW?" he roared angrily, and the man laughed in his face. "Why, I told her, of course! What did you expect?" he asked, causing Noir to chuckle dryly. _Nice one, my friend! _he called to the mage, and quickly received a response. _Thanks,_ the man mentally responded as he stepped into the light.

Father Salade merely raised an eyebrow. The man appeared to be about nineteen years-old, but he knew that appearances could be **quite** deceiving. The man's auburn hair was hanging around his face, framing golden eyes with slit pupils that were glimmering with amusement. He stood a little over six feet tall, with a slender, well-muscled build. There was a sword hanging from the man's right hip, a quarterstaff slung across his back, a nearly-invisible sword resting at the back of his waist, and what appeared to be a razor-edged chain wrapped around his right arm. He was wearing all black, but something about his appearance gave the priest a rather strange premonition. _That was you, wasn't it? HUH? What are you talking about? You were the one who was blocking my mental probe, correct? Yes, and if you had tried to punch through MY barrier, then I would have been forced to hurt you, Father. But that's not the point. What gave me away? Well, for starters, you came from the other side of the ridge, correct?_There was a moment of silence before the man responded._ ...Damn. Forgot about that. No matter. Are you here to aid us, or them? Who do YOU think, Father Salade? If I was allied with them, then I would have already slaughtered all of you and left, no questions asked. ...You have a good point there. Anyway, there is only one thing that is perfectly clear: Chiasmus HAS to die. Agreed. He dared to threaten our Goddess, and and he must be dealt with._

Saito nodded at Father Salade in understanding before looking at Chiasmus once again. "Poitrenne is anything **but** pleased with you, and she ordered that we return with your head." Chiasmus chuckled once before his eyes hardened. "Well then, I guess that I'll just have to kill all of you before that _damn_ Celestial Paladin of hers finds me here." "It's a little too late for that, _Apostate_," an all too-familiar voice snarled, and Chiasmus silently cursed as he spotted the man's distinctive eye and hair-color. His eyes narrowed to slits as he spat one word, even more vilely than he had spewed any curses in his lifetime. "_Lamington._" The silver-haired angel stepped forward, resting his right hand on the hilt of the _Lightning Fang_. "I knew that there was something wrong with you, but I just couldn't place it. Now I know for sure. So," he called, drawing his weapon, "what is it going to be? Are you going to attempt to alter history, and die here? Or will you get out while you still can, and live?"

"I choose to change history and kill you **all**!" Chiasmus yelled, flinging his head back and raising his arms, as if in supplication. There was a blinding flash of light, and by the time it had faded, there were several hundred angels surrounding the Apostate. "Let's see what you can do against me **now**, Lamington!" he cackled, but froze when the lone man on the ridge began to chuckle. These chuckles soon grew into full-throated laughter, and Saito flung his head back and laughed aloud several times. He then looked directly at the Apostate, his eyes clearly amused. "Well, now that you have called-in all of **your** reinforcements, it seems to be the perfect time for me to call-in **mine**!" he called before lifting his right hand and snapping his fingers three times. The result was instantaneous. Every single one of the mage's allies rose to their feet, and the sheer number of demons stunned Chiasmus into silence. "What..._are_...you?" he asked, and Saito openly smiled before speaking the four words that the Apostate never wanted to hear. "I am the _Oricaltos_." While Chiasmus was busy processing this information, Saito gestured to Poitrenne's second-in-command. "Michael? He's **all** yours!" "Why thank you, Saito."

_Here we go!_ the mental voice in Prier's head called, and the red-haired woman smiled. "Eliminate the Demon Overlords, and then deal with Chiasmus' forces." "Understood," everyone else acknowledged, and then they split-up. The Succubus and Lamia flanked her, trying their best to keep-up with her nearly frantic pace as she tore through angel after angel, searching for the one person she knew could help her. Eventually, she spotted him in the middle of a nasty-looking duel with another angel. "Noir!" she called, trying desperately to grab his attention, but the man refused to waver as he continued to fight for his life. After several close-calls, he managed to slit his adversary's throat, and then he turned to Prier. "Thank goodness you're alright. I thought that I wouldn't make-it here in time." "In time for what?" Prier asked curiously, and the former head of the Church of the Divine Mother smiled. "I'm here to help you achieve your dream. I am here to change you into a demon." She froze for a few seconds, and then smiled before hugging the angel tightly. "Thank you," she whispered, and Noir smiled. He had work to do.

"Sita, watch your back!" The young Thief rolled forward, just barely dodging the axe swing meant to remove her head. Pivoting, she sprang at her opponent's throat, catching him by surprise. The angel froze for a few critical seconds, which was **more** than enough time for Sita to steal the man's necklace before stabbing him in the throat with her short-sword. Ducking into one of the alcoves to examine her prize, Sita's eyes grew wide with amazement. _MISTER SAITO! What is it, Sita? Well, I just stole a necklace from the angel I was fighting, and you are **not** going to believe what was on it. ...Okay then, enlighten me._ The young woman paused for a moment to catch her breath before continuing. _I count at least three Legendary **Arcadia**s on here. ...WHAT? Did you just say that you found three Legendary **Arcadia**s around the neck of your opponent? Yup! __Holy mother of...! This is great for us! How so? We kill the angels, and then take the **Arcadia**s. It's as simple as that!_

After Saito finished talking with Sita, he turned to look at the other fighters around him. It was then that he noticed several were circling Chiasmus, trying to keep Lamington away from the Apostate. _Well, they have bigger things to worry about. Aramis! Yes, sir? Zombie Master... **YES SIR!**_ Saito shook his head and smiled, watching as Aramis planted his katana point-first into the floor before placing both palms flat on the ground. Immediately, all of the fighting ceased when a series of glowing demonic runes appeared on the walls and ceiling. The silver-haired young man rotated his palms upward and slowly rose to his feet before issuing a single command. "_**Rise.**_" Several hands burst from the floor, followed rather rapidly by a fair number of zombies. Aramis smiled, pulled his weapon from the floor, and then pointed it directly at Chiasmus. "_**Obliterate all who follow him,**_" he commanded, and the zombies got to work.

Éclair and Homard were back-to-back, trying desperately to defend themselves. All of a sudden, Éclair slumped back against Homard, and the man turned in alarm, catching his falling bride. He bit his lower lip in order to keep from crying-out when he saw the hideous wound. The angel had shoved an axe into her stomach, and then he twisted it before pulling it out. Éclair's eyes were starting to glaze-over, but then they abruptly sharpened, changing from a vibrant green to a moderate violet in the process. Homard watched in alarm as the wound disappeared, and then Éclair reverted to her darker personality. Her hair, which had been curled around her face, suddenly straightened and rippled down to her waist. The lance in her hands changed into an electrified saber, and then the woman gently smiled at him, just before killing the stunned angel. "Don't worry, Homard. I'm back to the way I always was," she said, giggling at the puzzled expression on his face. "I remember him now." "Who?" "Why, the Oricaltos!" she called happily as she rose to her feet, and Homard began to shake his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Then, it all came rushing back to him, and the man smiled at his bride. "So do I," he replied, tossing away both lances and redrawing his sabers. "Come on, let's go make sure that Prier is alright."

The raven-haired angel had just finished muttering the end of the spell when Prier suddenly cried-out. Looking down in alarm, Noir almost froze. Several angels were clinging to Prier, trying to drag her to the floor and crush her. Desperately, he reached down to try and save her. "Prier! Grab my hand!" The red-haired, brown-eyed young woman struggled to reach Noir, but it was no use. That is, until three other members of _La Pucelle _arrived. Within seconds, most of the angels had been defeated, and the remainder were warily falling back, looking for an opening through which they could attack. Unfortunately for them, Éclair, Homard, and Salade were taking absolutely **no** chances. While Prier was busy healing the Succubus and Lamia (who had both been badly injured earlier in the battle), Salade made a command decision. "Prier!" he called, and the woman raised her head to look at him. "Yes, Father Salade?" "Do what you think is right," he told her, and Prier suddenly smiled. "Yes sir!" she called cheerfully before reaching up and grasping Noir's hand, allowing the angel to haul her into the air. As soon as Prier's feet left the ground, her transformation began.

* * *

_Well, it appears that the transformation will be a success. Now, let's go find-out what is happening elsewhere in the world, shall we?  
**Sacred Altar: Celestia**_

Poitrenne gently smiled as she felt Noir's magic take effect. "So, history will remain unchanged, after all," she whispered, and Angelique smiled. "Yup! Do you need me to do anything, Lady Poitrenne?" "Yes please, Angelique. Be a dear and go fetch my sword and bow." "Yes, Seraph," the red-haired angel replied before bowing and exiting the room. _It is time that I make certain that Chiasmus does _**_not_**_ survive this day!_ Poitrenne thought to herself as she prepared to enter the fight raging below. However, just before Angelique returned, the Seraph received a slightly frantic message from the Oricaltos. _Lady Poitrenne! What is it, Saito?_ Poitrenne asked, noting the panic in his voice. She then froze. _Wait a second... Saito almost never panics! That means that there must be something terrible happening!What's wrong, Saito? You almost never panic! Well, the situation has taken a turn for the worse. You see, the one who caused Chiasmus to turn against you ALSO happened to send him aid. We need some serious help, FAST. Aid? What kind of aid? He sent far too many Surts for my allies and I to handle alone. ...I understand, Oricaltos. I'll be right there. Thank you._ she thought to herself as she reached out to Saito once more.

* * *

_Down once more!  
**Following Saito&Setsuna: Floor 10 (**of 10**): 300 Dark-Energy Index Hell**_

Saito and Setsuna were back-to-back on the ridge, playing a rather twisted game of "King of the Mountain" with the Surts who were constantly charging. So far, none of them had managed to survive for more than a few seconds against the two hybrids, but they both knew that it could change in an instant. "Hold them off for a little while. I'm going to try something," Setsuna whispered, closing his eyes and focusing his energies into his staff. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open as he yelled two words. "_Celestial Ragnarök!_" Immediately, a large amount of holy energy erupted from the staff, changing the weapon into a massive holy sword. Setsuna then swung once, cutting-down nearly a dozen Surts before one managed to sneak under his guard. The lone beast landed a blow to Setsuna's stomach, causing the hybrid to double-over in pain. However, that was the **last** blow that the Surt landed, as Saito spun around in a complete circle, removing the monster's head. "Are you alright, Setsuna?" the Oricaltos asked, slightly concerned, and the dark priest rose to his feet, grimacing. "I'll be fine," he replied, wincing slightly. Saito's eyes narrowed to slits, and then he offered a silent chant. _Authorities, hear my plea: unseal the light. Give me the powers that are mine by right!_ He was instantly surrounded by a column of blue-green energy, and when it faded away, Setsuna smiled as he felt the energy flare-up from Saito's direction. The mage had gone _Phoenix_, and he was **extremely** pissed-off.

"_Hey Setsuna. How about we give these idiots a taste of what two hybrids can do?_" "Agreed," Setsuna responded with a grin as he focused his energy into his fists, feeling the mage doing the same thing behind him. Suddenly, both called-out one particular phrase before lashing-out once again. "Oricaltos and Dark Priest Combination: _Black Flame Blast!_" The fireballs that emerged from the hands of the two hybrids seemed to be quite small, but when they reached their targets, both burst apart, showering a rather large area with the unholy flames. Several angels screamed as they were burned to death, and Saito smiled grimly before looking at the ceiling. A white light was descending, and it caused the Oricaltos to chuckle. _Welcome to the battlefield, Lady Poitrenne. You're just in time to watch the transformation finish,_ he called, eyes glittering with amusement.

The Seraph smiled at Saito's greeting before turning to look at Noir and the woman he was holding aloft. Indeed, Saito had spoken truly when he said that she was just in time. As Poitrenne continued to watch, two ram's horns appeared on the sides of Prier's head. These were followed shortly by a pair of bat-like wings bursting from the woman's back. Her costume had already changed from that of a demon hunter to a more simplified dress, and then Prier, or should I dare say, **Priere**, opened her eyes and smiled at Noir. The angel gazed down, and blinked in surprise when he saw a pair of blood-red eyes gazing into his own. Startled, he released Priere's hand, but the woman did not fall. Her eyes glittered with amusement as she looked around the battlefield, hovering above most of the fighting. She then turned back to Noir. "Thank you for helping me to regain what I lost," she called, earning a puzzled look from the man. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Well, it's a long story, but I'll give you the abbreviated version. Chiasmus created a paradox, forcing my body to disappear in Saito's time. As a result, my soul was sent to occupy my body in **this** time, but because I was human, the _demon_ portion of my soul seemed to disappear. Now that I am a demon again, I remember everything that happened to me, and, especially important, I remember the Oricaltos." Noir scratched his head, shrugged, and then nodded in confused understanding. "I believe you." "Thanks, Noir. Now, shouldn't you be focusing on trying to eliminate Chiasmus?" "He doesn't need to, Alternate Overlord. Michael is already seeing to that," a female voice called, and Priere looked to her left in mild alarm. She recognized the voice, even though she had only heard it once, right before she awakened in time to confront Croix's dark half at the Church of the Divine Maiden. "_Poitrenne..._"

"Correct, Priere. It has been a long time in coming, but you finally have the strength to finish what was started so long ago. Corbin was a threat to all of us. It was **he** who turned my own sister against me, and I have never forgiven him." "Wait a second. Did you just say that he turned your own sister against you?" Priere asked in stunned disbelief. _But that would mean..._ "Are you saying that the Fallen Angel Calamity is actually your _sister_?" she asked, slightly incredulous, and Poitrenne sadly smiled. "Yes. Calamity is my twin sister. We were inseparable at one time, but then **he** came." "_Corbin_," the Oricaltos sneered, the hatred evident in his voice. "Correct. He created a rift between us, and then turned her towards his own, dark purpose. I only hope that she may one day come to see that it is _Corbin_ who is wrong, not me!" she cried, and Saito shook his head in disgust. _Corbin has ruined many lives, not just your own. I swear upon my immortal soul that I will do all within my power to restore your sister to the way she was, Poitrenne. Thank you...Saito,_ the Seraph seemed to whisper in response, tears streaming down her face.

Chiasmus was in the process of trying to leave the battle when he was suddenly cut-off from his forces by a ring of zombies. He drew his black broadsword and snarled at them angrily. "Out of my way, you stupid things!" he snapped, and, much to his surprise, the two closest to him moved out of the way. However, they were allowing someone **in**, not letting Chiasmus **out**. The Apostate froze for a few seconds, but then he reluctantly saluted his opponent. "So. The time has come at last, Michael." "Indeed it has, Chiasmus. It is time that we settle this once and for all." "Agreed," the dark angel snarled, lunging towards Lamington's throat, only to have his weapon blocked by the _Lightning Fang_. Lamington rolled his eyes and sighed once, but then his eyes narrowed. "I gave you one last chance, and you threw it away. Now, it's **my** turn!" he yelled, lunging at Chiasmus.

The Apostate blocked the attack, but then barely managed to dodge the overhand follow-up. "Curse you, _Paladin_," he snarled, swinging his blade crosswise, only to have his stroke blocked yet again. "And damn you as well, _Apostate_," Michael snarled in reply as he thrust his left hand into the man's face. "May you writhe in flames forever. _Hellfire!_" he yelled, unleashing the multi-fireball attack directly in the Apostate's face, causing him to scream in agony as he stumbled backwards, clutching at his badly-bunt features. "_DAMN YOU!_" he roared, unleashing a wave of dark energy that slammed into Michael, throwing the silver-haired angel into the closest wall. Shaking his head, Lamington tried to get his ears to stop ringing, and didn't notice when Chiasmus reared-back, ready to remove Michael's head from his shoulders. Unfortunately for the Apostate, _someone_ did, and acted in the only way that she knew how.

There was a sickening slicing sound, followed by a meaty _thump_ as Chiasmus' head hit the floor. Poitrenne closed her eyes and shook her head sadly as she gazed at the angel who had become the Apostate. "If only you had listened to me in the first place," she whispered, and then turned as she felt a hand gently squeeze her left shoulder. Saito was there, offering the Seraph a cloth to clean the blood from her sword. "It's okay, Lady Poitrenne. The battle is finally over, and Chiasmus' allies paid the **ultimate** price," he said, gesturing towards the groups of fallen bodies. The battle had been won, all right, but at a terrible cost. Poitrenne sniffed hard before nodding once. "It had to be done." "Agreed," the Oricaltos responded, his golden eyes gazing into the Seraph's crystal-blue ones. "Come on. There are several who need to be healed, and I don't have the strength to do it." Poitrenne smiled as the Oricaltos leaned heavily against her. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that you are all healed before you head home." "...Thank you, Seraph."

Priere settled onto the floor once again, and hugged both the Succubus and Lamia tightly. "I thought that you were both dead!" she cried, and the Lamia lightly poked her in the stomach. "Don't think that! We're here to help you every step of the way, Alternate Overlord. No matter what, we will be there to help you in troubled times." The Succubus nodded in agreement, and then crossed both hands over her breasts before falling to one knee and bowing her head. "My name is Violet, and my friend is called Laura. It would be an honor to serve you, my lady." Priere wiped the tears away from her eyes and gently smiled. "Then I would be honored if you would both accompany us back to the Makai," she replied, and both demons nodded.

As Priere turned away, a light cough behind her caused her to pause. "Yes, Father Salade?" she asked, not even turning to look at the stunned priest. "I'm not going to ask how you knew that," he muttered, causing the Alternate Overlord to smile as she turned to face her mentor. "I want you to know that, no matter what, you can always feel free to return here. It doesn't matter whether you are a demon or not, because you are still the young woman that I came to know and love." Priere sniffed gently, feeling tears welling in her eyes once again. "Thank you, Father," she whispered, and Salade smiled. "You are _very_ welcome, Priere. Now get moving, young lady. The Oricaltos is waiting." "Yes sir!" she called softly, and then raised her voice once more. "Croix? Keep an eye on that brother of mine, will ya? I don't want him to do anything **too** stupid while I'm gone." "_Hey!_" Culotte protested, but Croix smiled, shook his head, and then smacked Culotte upside the head before replying. "Will do, Priere. Just take care of yourself, okay?" "I will, Croix," she responded with a smile before turning and walking over to Saito. The Oricaltos "descended," and then slowly shook his head before calling to the Oracle. "Pram? Let's go home." The Oracle opened the white Dimensional Gate once more, and Saito and his allies, their number now increased by two, returned to their own time period.

* * *

**Author's note1:** Well, that was another long one! However, this thing is nowhere **near** done, so stick around! Even though Priere has been saved, there is still much left to do. What happens when another traveler stumbles into the Makai by accident? How did she get there? And what sort of problems will ensue when she encounters Saito and the others? Find out in my next installment, **Enter Asagi**. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you. 


	9. Chapter 8: Enter Asagi

**Author's note1:** It has been QUITE a while since I started writing again, so please bear with me if I ramble. I'm taking a break from writing action scenes for a little while. After all, even MY characters need to rest sometimes. So just kick back, relax, and enjoy some humor for a change.

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill by now  
**Extraneous:** Ditto

* * *

_After visiting with Poitrenne  
(who was Seraph at the time),  
The Oricaltos and his allies  
descended into the D.E.I. Hell.  
Here, they watched and waited  
(and barely avoided discovery)  
before they learned a few new facts.  
First of all, Noir, a once forsaken half-demon,  
had been granted entrance to Celestia.  
Second, Corbin had promised to make the Apostate  
into the Seraph, should he eliminate Prier.  
The mage rose and denounced Chiasmus,  
and then the battle was joined...  
**-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines CCIII-CCXV**_

* * *

**Chapter 8: Enter Asagi**  
_What happened before:_

After arriving in the D.E.I. Hell (and just **barely** avoiding being discovered by Father Salade), Saito and his allies descended to the final floor, where they discovered two interesting facts before the battle commenced. First and foremost, they learned that Noir, the half-demon who had nearly killed Croix in an attempt to summon the fallen angel Calamity, had been granted admittance to Celestia. Second, they learned that Corbin had promised to make Chiasmus into the Seraph, but _only_ if he could eliminate the soon-to-be Alternate Overlord, Prier. The Oricaltos rose from concealment and denounced the Apostate, and then the fighting began.

The battle was (for the most part) an angels against demons affair, with most of the angels siding with Chiasmus, and almost **all** of the demons siding with the Oricaltos. In the midst of the early portion of the fighting, Sita (Saito's resident thief) discovered that all of the angelic servants of Chiasmus were each wearing three Legendary _Arcadia_s. Saito thanked the young thief for alerting him before issuing a silent command to steal and utilize the demonic talismans against the Apostate's forces. When the Oricaltos spotted the Apostate trying to flee, he was quick to alert Aramis, and the young Zombie Master promptly summoned several of his trusted servants to cut-off the man's escape.

Meanwhile, Noir was busy finishing the transformation spell, and Éclair and Homard were back-to-back, fending off several angels. That is, until Éclair's stomach was sliced open by a lucky axe stroke. But while the angel was busy rejoicing, he didn't notice that the princess had reverted to her darker personality. The Dark Paladin (who, along with Priere and Homard, had vanished from Saito's time period) flashed her husband a smile before cutting-down the angel who had slashed her. In addition to being healed upon her reversion, Éclair had **also** managed to regain her memories of the Oricaltos. Shortly thereafter, she reminded Homard about working with the mage, and **he** too regained what he had lost. Grinning, the man cast aside the unwieldy lances in favor of his two sabers, and then both the Dark Paladin and the Shadow Guard joined forces with Father Salade in order to allow Noir to finish his spell and begin the actual transformation.

As Prier began to change into a demon, a large number of Surts arrived, courtesy of Corbin. Saito sent a frantic call for help to Poitrenne before joining Setsuna on the southernmost ridge. The two hybrids dueled back-to-back, playing a rather twisted game of "King of the Mountain." Eventually, after Setsuna had released a _Celestial Ragnarök_ and Saito had reverted to his _Phoenix_ form, the duo unleashed a lethal combination attack known as the _Black Flame Blast_. This attack, combined with the Seraph Poitrenne's arrival and Prier**e**'s awakening, utterly demoralized Chiasmus and the remainder of his forces. The Apostate once more attempted to flee, with Lamington in hot pursuit.

During a brief conversation between the female Seraph and the newly-reborn Alternate Overlord, two stunning revelations were made known to the Oricaltos. The first new piece of information was that Seraph Poitrenne and the fallen angel Calamity, two beings who were believed to have absolutely **nothing** in common with one another, were actually _twin sisters_! However, it was the second revelation that caused Saito's blood to boil. Apparently, it had been **Corbin** who had turned Calamity against her sister, and Saito swore upon his own immortal soul that he would do everything possible to restore her.

Meanwhile, Chiasmus' attempt at fleeing ground to a rather abrupt halt when he found himself surrounded by several zombies. With no place left to run, the Apostate was finally forced into a duel with Lamington. After having his face badly-burnt by the Celestial Paladin's _Hellfire_ attack, Chiasmus flung his opponent into the nearest wall before deciding to end the future Seraph's life. Unfortunately, there was one factor that Chiasmus forgot to include in his overall equation: Poitrenne. The head angel personally removed the Apostate's head, finally ending the fighting.

With the battle now finally over, Poitrenne took several minutes to heal Saito and his allies, while Priere held brief conversations with both of the demons she had captured earlier that day, in addition to Father Salade. After several heartfelt goodbyes, the Alternate Overlord, with both of the other demons in-tow, joined the Oricaltos and his remaining allies for the trip home.

* * *

_While Saito and his allies are resting and regaining their strength, let's check-in with our resident nuisance, Corbin.  
**On board the Yoshitsuna: Makai Kingdom: Zetta's Netherworld**_**  
Year: 6580 AD  
Time: Nearly twelve hours have passed since Saito's return**

"...Blast," Corbin muttered upon learning that Saito had managed to return from the past, not only with everyone still intact, but **also** with Priere in-tow. It did **not** improve his mood knowing that Chiasmus had been slain by Poitrenne, and it was even less comforting to know that Saito had sworn a solemn oath to the female Seraph. On the other hand, deep inside the Lord of Terror, Baal smiled. _Nice job, Saito_, he called gleefully. _Why, thank you, Baal,_ the mage responded, sounding clearly relieved. _How goes life? Well, it isn't **too** bad. He occasionally lets me out, but only for brief periods of time. That's about it. **That must REALLY suck,**_ another voice interjected, and Baal paused, trying to remember where he had heard that voice before. When he finally managed to place it, he smiled. _You have NO clue how right you are, Adell,_ he replied easily.

_How is Rozalin doing? **She's fine, and so is Yukimaru.** Ah, just wanted to make sure._ There was silence for a moment, then Baal started to "speak" again. _So, Oricaltos, how did Chiasmus **really** die? Uh, why are you asking me, Baal? Because I got several conflicting reports. One said that you killed him, and another one said that Lamington managed to pull it off. _There was a brief pause while Saito mused over this information. _OH. Well, in that case, both of your reports are wrong. Poitrenne took his head when he tried to take Michael's. I just wanted to be sure... No problem, man! Anyway, I have another piece of information for you. I'm listening. There appears to be a black-haired, black-eyed young woman wandering around the Southern Plains. It appears as-if she is looking for something. I'll have to keep that in mind, Baal. Long days and pleasant nights. Likewise, Oricaltos,_ Baal concluded before falling silent once more.

* * *

_Well, now that Saito knows about the newcomer, what will he do? Let's go find out!  
**Following Saito: Pram's Study: Hall of Prophecy: Makai Kingdom**_

Saito pounded on the Oracle's desk until he had everyone's attention. "Okay people, listen-up: it looks like we might have another cross-dimensional visitor." Zetta rolled his eyes before looking directly at the mage. "Let me take a **wild** guess," he muttered sarcastically. "Our visitor is a black-haired, black-eyed young woman who happens to be wandering around the Southern Plains, correct?" he asked, and Saito nodded, allowing his puzzled expression to ask his next question. The flame-haired Overlord slowly shook his head and smiled before turning to Pram. "It seems like Asagi's Dimensional Gate has malfunctioned again," he commented dryly, and the Oracle sadly shook her head. "_AGAIN?_ But this is the eighth time in under three months!" "I know," Alexander mumbled, trying desperately to keep a straight face. "It appears to me that our little self-proclaimed 'Demon Slayer' is directionally challenged," he managed to choke-out before finally bursting into laughter.

However, his laughter was rather short-lived, as Saito coughed lightly, effectively silencing the G.O.D. The _diralec_ then turned to Zetta, looking for an explanation. "What do _you_ know about our visitor?" he asked rather pointedly, and the demon slowly shook his head. _Where do I begin?_ he wondered silently before deciding to tell Saito everything that he was sure about. "We refer to Asagi as the 'Herald of Change,' because she always appears before a major change rakes place in one of the other worlds connected with this one." "What sort of changes?" Adell inquired, and Pram answered him with a straight face. "The last time she appeared was shortly before Saito's arrival, Adell. She usually only appears when there is either a tremendous cause for celebration, or a major catastrophe." _**I'm not gonna ask, man.** Me neither, Adell. _"Anything else, Pram?" the Oricaltos asked, and the Oracle shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Saito."

The mage nodded rather solemnly before beckoning for Laharl and Michael to join him as he withdrew. After the doors of Pram's study had closed, the Overlord grabbed his head in both hands, painfully wincing. "What's wrong, Laharl?" the hybrid asked, slightly worried, and Laharl grimaced. "Something is happening, all right. I just can't tell where." "Well then, try to figure it out, Overlord," Saito ordered, and the _dhamphir_ nodded once in acknowledgment. The mage then turned to the Seraph. "I'm going to go and look for Asagi. I need **you** to make certain that Priere doesn't panic if I disappear," he stated, and Michel nodded. "I'll do my best to keep her calm. Just come back in one piece." "I will, Michael. May the Authority watch over you." "And may She watch over you as well," the head angel responded as the Oricaltos turned and strode out of the Hall. He had work to do.

* * *

_Twenty minutes later...  
**Following Saito: Southern Plains: Zetta's Netherworld**_

The Oricaltos looked out over the near-endless landscape before eliciting a small sigh. Slowly shaking his head, he continued south, searching for any signs of passage. It didn't take him long to find an almost invisible trail, ad the mage inwardly smiled as he followed it, his eyes constantly moving, searching the landscape for any sign of the young woman.

Spotting what appeared to be a fight in the distance, the Oricaltos spread his wings and went airborne, mentally calling to Baal as he did so. _BAAL! What is it, Saito? Can you check to see if Corbin dispatched any Surts? Sure. Could you hold on a minute? I'll wait._ A few seconds later, Saito heard a rather **nasty** mental curse. _Why that no-good, two-timing bastard! Calm down, Baal. How many did he send? He sent a little over a dozen, but no more._ Saito pondered this for a few seconds before making his decision. _Better let Corbin know that less than half are going to make it back alive. Will do, Saito. May the LORD have mercy upon their poor souls, for we most certainly will not. AMEN,_ Saito responded, a tiny grin crossing his face as he drew closer to the fighting.

"_Holy Arrows!_" the raven-haired woman yelled, launching the explosive quills into the closing circle of monsters. Two Surts howled in pain and vanished, leaving only three left to face her. There was a dangerous glimmer in the eyes of one of the Surts, but before it could attack, _he_ arrived, causing all three monsters to freeze. "Well, well, well. What do we have **here**?" an unfamiliar voice asked, and Asagi spun around, preparing to cast another spell. However, as soon as she saw the speaker, her eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped in amazement. _**He actually exists**_, she thought to herself before realizing that her hands were still raised. Trying (and failing miserably, I might add) to keep from blushing, she quickly lowered her hands ceasing the casting of the spell she had prepared.

Saito only relaxed after Asagi had lowered her hands and ceased casting. _Phew! That was a little **too** close for comfort,_ he thought silently as he stared at the Demon Slayer and then at the three Surts beyond her. "Why were you sent here?" he bluntly asked, shooting the so-called "Herald of Change" a rather hard look, telling her to keep quiet. The lead Surt stared-down the Oricaltos and then answered him. "We were sent here to eliminate her." "Well, why haven't you done that yet?" Saito asked, slightly amused, and the Surt glowered at him. "We were getting to that!" he snapped angrily, and the Oricaltos merely shook his head and chuckled. "Yeah, **right**," he commented sarcastically, a smug grin crossing his features. "I have no doubt that she was about to kill all three of you. However, I have a better idea." "Really?" Asagi asked, slightly skeptical, and the weredragon grinned. "Yup. Besides, my method won't cost any more lives. Are you all willing to listen?" he asked, and slowly, all four of the others nodded.

_Nearly two hours later..._

Baal had been temporarily released from his prison, and he hurtled towards Saito's location. When he reached the mage, however, a sudden grin crossed his face and he began to chuckle. The Oricaltos, the Herald of Change, and all three of the remaining Surts were sitting in a circle, discussing something. As Baal drew closer, his grin broadened when he heard Saito speak. "Hey Asagi! Have any nines?"

Yes, as strange as it may appear, Saito's solution involved several different card games, including poker, blackjack, and _Go Fish_. It was actually quite amusing to watch, **plus** it gave both Saito and Asagi an opportunity to relieve their opponents of large amounts of cash. Baal shook his head, intensely amused. _How's it going, Saito? Oh, it's going well enough. I think those three are about ready to quit,_ he replied, tilting his head in the direction of the Surts. _I have no doubt about that,_ Baal replied with a laugh. _They don't have any money left! Hmm... That's a pity,_ the Oricaltos lamented with a grin as he picked up the last of the money. _And they were doing **so** well too!_

The Surts grumbled a few thinly-veiled threats before stomping off, and then both Saito and Asagi released audible sighs of relief. The Oricaltos sadly shook his head as he watched the demons leave, but then he turned his attention to the raven-haired woman. "Sorry about interrupting your spell there. It's just that I've had enough fighting to deal with already." "Nah, that's okay," the woman replied with a shrug. "I didn't really want to blast them into oblivion anyway." "Just out of curiosity, what were you going to cast?" Saito asked, and Asagi answered honestly. "I was going to cast _Holy Scatter Blades_," she replied, and Saito whistled lightly. "I haven't seen that attack in a **long** time," he commented, causing Asagi to laugh.

Then, as if he had forgotten to do something, Saito slapped his forehead. "Where are my manners? I completely forgot to introduce myself!" Asagi merely shook her head, clearly amused. "That's fine with me. Besides, I already know exactly _what_ you are," "but not _who_," the mage finished, extending his right hand. "My name is Saito Onago, and I already know both who **and** what you are, Asagi. However, I do have one question for you." "What is it?" she asked. "If you're going to ask _why_ I am here, it's because there has been a major distortion in one of the nearby worlds." "Which one?" Saito asked, his interest piqued, and Asagi sighed aloud before uttering a single word. "**Ivoire**."

_Ivoire. Now where have I heard that name before?_ Saito mused, trying to make a connection. However, he was unable to do so, at least until Asagi started speaking again. "I've always hated that dratted Terror Demon for what he did to ruin so many lives." _A Terror Demon in Ivoire? ...That's it! Now I remember where I've heard that name before._ Saito's eyes narrowed angrily, shifting from crystal blue to flat black in a matter of seconds. Upon seeing the terrible expression on Saito's face, Asagi visibly blanched. "Do you know who I am talking about?" she asked, slightly frightened, and the Oricaltos nodded once before spitting-out the demon's name as if it were a curse. "**Sulfur**," he snarled, his voice dripping with malice.

Asagi quickly bobbed her head, trying not to look directly into Saito's eyes. _**Boy, that demon must have done something to REALLY piss him off...** No kidding! I can practically feel the anger radiating from him,_ another voice added, causing the Demon Slayer to pause. _**And exactly WHO do you think you are, prying into my thoughts like that?**_ Asagi demanded. _He wasn't prying,_ Saito injected with a scowl. _YOU were broadcasting your thoughts._ There was dead silence for a moment. _Uh, Saito? I don't think she knew that. I figured out **that** much, Baal. After all, I didn't realize that I was broadcasting in Veldime until Adell told me. Hmm. You have a good point there._

_**Excuse me for interrupting, but you still haven't answered my question yet.** WHOOPS! Totally forgot about you for a minute there. Quit making excuses, man. Asagi, I would like you to meet Baal. Baal? This is the Herald of Change._ Asagi froze. _**BAAL? As in THE Lord of Terror?** Not exactly,_ Baal replied with a wince. _You see, I'm not the REAL power behind the Lord of Terror. Corbin, on the other hand, is. All I want to do is regain my sword and my human body._ The Herald of Change thought for a few moments, pondering the information she had just received. _**So, lemme get this straight: all you want to do is get rid of Corbin, correct?** Yes. **Then I have a feeling that we will work GREAT together,**_ she replied with a grin, and Saito slowly rose and stretched before gesturing for Asagi to follow him. "Come on. We've got to let the others know about this." _Agreed Saito,_ Baal added. _Long days and pleasant nights. Likewise, Baal._

* * *

_Well then, back to the others we go!  
**Following Saito&Asagi: Pram's Study: Hall of Prophecy: Zetta's Netherworld**_**  
Time: A grand total of three hours have passed since Saito originally left to find Asagi**

It was obvious that Priere was worried. The Alternate Overlord was nervously pacing, wearing a path in the carpeted floor in front of Pram's desk. Despite reassurances from both the Oracle **and** the Seraph, she was certain that something terrible had befallen Saito. Therefore, when someone knocked on the door, she answered it, fearing the worst. Her fears proved groundless, however, as Saito led both Asagi and Laharl into the room. The Oricaltos looked at the carpet and then at Priere, raising an eyebrow as he did so. "Pram and Michael told you that I was fine. You **know** that I'm immortal, and yet you insist on worrying about me." The Oracle rolled her eyes at the mage. "She can't help it. After all, she loves you very much, Saito." _And so do I,_ she silently added, guarding that thought from everyone else. Well, **almost **everyone else...

Salome shot Trenia a rather startled look. She had managed to catch Pram's last thought, and it had surprised her. In response, the former spirit of the _Sacred Tome_ inclined her head towards the door, indicating that she wanted to speak with Salome outside of Pram's hearing. So, while Saito and Asagi were busy explaining their theory, both women managed to slip-out of the room unnoticed.

Once the door had closed and they were out of earshot, Salome sadly shook her head. "Poor Pram. She's fallen in-love with the one man who is already promised to the Alternate Overlord." Trenia, on the other hand, couldn't stop giggling, prompting Salome to give her a rather strange look. "What am I missing that's so funny, Trenia?" "Oh, nothing much," the younger woman replied. "You're just missing the fact that Saito is hiding **his** feelings, too." The female Overlord allowed her puzzled expression to ask the question, and Trenia leaned forward, allowing her voice to drop to a whisper. "_He loves them both._"

Salome's eyes grew wide. "But how do you...?" Then it dawned on her. "Hold on a minute. Now I understand why she refuses to read ahead in the _Tome_!" "It's because she is afraid that she will discover who Saito will be with in the end. However, she doesn't really need to worry about that. You see, it clearly states at the end of the Prophecy di luce e di ombre that the Oricaltos **won't **be forced to choose between the two of them." "Alright," Salome responded with a smile. "Let's just keep this between the two of us, okay?" "Deal," Trenia agreed before gesturing back towards the study. "Come on. I think Saito is about to get to the point of his lecture." Salome nodded, and then they both returned to the room, just in time to hear Saito finish. "...Therefore, I believe that it is imperative that we go to Ivoire and eliminate the threat of Sulfur once and for all. Are there any questions?" There was dead silence for several moments. "No? Then I want you to meet me back here in three hours. Dismissed."

* * *

**Author's note2:** Well, it looks like another section is finished. Thanks to all who have reviewed so far, and for those who haven't, PLEASE do so! I am always looking for ways to improve my writing, so please, tell me what you like or don't like about my story so far. 

It appears that the next destination on Saito's list is Ivoire. What will happen when he arrives? Is this Corbin's doing, or is it something more sinister than the Lord of Terror? And why does Saito despise Sulfur so much? Find out the answers to these questions and more in my next installment, **The Chroma and the Oxide**. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.


	10. Chapter 9: The Chroma and the Oxide

**Disclaimer&Extraneous:** You know the drill by now

**Author's Note1:** Hello again, everyone! Just to let you know, I'm going to be trying something a _little_ different at the beginning of the next few chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

_The Oricaltos insulted Chiasmus,  
and then the battle was joined.  
It was long, and brutal, and twisted,  
especially when several Surts arrived,  
courtesy of Corbin. The battle came  
to an abrupt end when Chiasmus  
made a fatal mistake: he tried  
to kill Lamington. Poitrenne removed  
the Apostate's head, and that was the end of it.  
**Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines CCXIV-CCXXII**_

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Chroma and the Oxide**

_On Ivoire:_  
Ivoire is a large cluster of islands, surrounded on all sides by ocean. It is home to a variety of creatures and spells that can be found nowhere else in the multiverse. The islands play host to Chromas (monster hunters), Chroma Oxides (those who take the pay **meant** for the Chromas without doing the work), and Phantoms (wandering spirits). It is said that once-in-a-generation, someone will be born who can communicate with these wandering spirits. They will also have the ability to summon these Phantoms into the material plane, and he or she who controls these abilities will be able to save Ivoire from a horrific foe...

* * *

_**Following Saito&Co: Pram's Study: Hall of Prophecy: Zetta's Netherworld**_**  
Time: Two-and-a-half hours have passed since we last left our heroes**

Saito was resting with his back to the wall, contemplating the ceiling. He was busy thinking about the most recent turn of events, but was yet distracted by a problem that he wished no one else would **ever** figure out. Nearby, Trenia was playing with the Saber Kitty who was her constant companion. She looked up, slightly startled, when Saito cursed. "Damn that stupid Terror Demon! If only he had stayed dead," he muttered, sadly shaking his head. "What's wrong, Saito?" Trenia asked, slightly concerned. _He almost never acts like this, unless he is trying to hide something that is really bothering him._ "It's nothing, Trenia," the Oricaltos answered with a sigh. "I just can't believe that Sulfur managed to survive the beating he received at my hands." However, he was avoiding Trenia's question, and she instantly knew that he was trying desperately to hide something.

So, she decided to get right to the heart of the matter. Placing her tiny companion on the floor, Trenia rose to her feet and stretched lazily before walking across the room and taking a seat next to the hybrid. "There's something that you're not telling me," she bluntly stated, and Saito jerked his head up to look at her. _Am I really _**_that_**_ transparent, Trenia?__ No, it's just that it is incredibly easy to tell if there is something bothering you that you have no wish to talk about. Remember, I __**am** the former spirit of the Tome._ The Oricaltos rolled his eyes once before speaking. "You're right, of course, but I want to see if you can figure it out on your own," he replied, and Trenia rolled her eyes once in response. "Does it have anything to do with the Alternate Overlord, the Oracle, or both of them?" she asked sweetly, and Saito hung his head, resigned. "Both," he whispered softly, and Trenia gently smiled. "Tell me what's wrong, and I might be able to help you."

The Oricaltos heaved a heavy sigh before explaining his problem. "It's kinda hard to put into words..." "You love them both, right?" another voice called from the doorway, and the hybrid looked up, startled to see that Salome had entered the room without alerting him to her presence. She closed the door and gently smiled before gesturing for him to continue. At that point, the mage shot Trenia a rather angry look. "What did **I** do?" she asked innocently, and the hybrid's eyes narrowed to slits. _Who else knows?_ Saito demanded, and Salome briefly looked at the ceiling before meeting the hybrid's eyes. "No one outside of this room knows, Saito," she stated, and the mage's shoulders visibly slumped in relief. "Thanks, Salome. It's just one of those secrets that I want to _remain_ secret." "Don't worry, Saito," Trenia stated with a grin. "Your secret is safe with us."

Saito nodded his thanks before laboriously rising to his feet. "Well, it looks like it's time that we get going," he called loudly, and the door of the study opened once again before Asagi poked her head into the room, grinning. "I was about to say the exact same thing, Oricaltos. Let's get to Ivoire. After all, we've got a lot of work to do if we are going to defeat Sulfur." The hybrid nodded once in agreement before heading out the door, closely followed by both Salome and Trenia. It was time to go to work once again.

* * *

_While Saito and the others are finishing their preparations, let's go see what the situation is like on one of Ivoire's central islands...  
**Southern Beach: Phantom Isle: Ivoire**_

A portal appeared south of the lone, man-made structure on the island. Then, a man poked his head out before looking around. Crimson eyed with pale skin and ocean-blue hair, the man (or Phantom, to be more precise) had a rather ghostly appearance. "It looks clear to me, Marona," he called over his shoulder before exiting the portal, he then turned around and raised an eyebrow as his young charge emerged. She was about Flonne's height, with lime-green hair and eyes. She blinked at her guardian innocently. "What is it, Ash?" she asked, and the Phantom shook his head, a minor frown crossing his features. "Did we **have** to go through all one hundred floors?" he whined, and Marona grinned at him. "Don't you think that it was worth the trip?" she asked sweetly, and Ash rolled his eyes once before replying. "Yes, I'd say that it was worth the trip," he grudgingly answered, tapping the sword at his left hip.

Marona paused to look around when a tiny figure came flying over one of the sand dunes at a tremendous clip. Unable to stop in time, the being collided with the young Chroma before bouncing off, sending both of them sprawling. Marona struggled to her feet before hurrying to aid the smaller being. "Mocha! How many times have I told you to slow down when you come over the dunes?" The white-limbed, green-dressed Putty lowered his eyes in shame. _**I'm sorry, Miss Marona, but I had to find you! I'm not sure if he is going to last much longer...**_ The Putty trailed-off, and Marona looked over at Ash. "Do you think it's possible? Could it actually be him?" she asked, and the Phantom replied with a shrug. "I honestly don't know, but whoever it is, I think we should hurry up." "Right," Marona replied before staring intently at Mocha. "Lead the way."

The Putty led the duo down to the beach before pointing at the prone figure lying face-down in the surf. Marona hurried over to roll the man onto his back, and here eyes widened in shock when she saw who it was. Softly, she whispered the man's name. "_Walnut..._" She then turned to Ash, and he immediately understood. The man was in terrible shape, and if he did not receive medical attention, then there was only a slim chance for survival. Ash sadly shook his head before calling several other Phantoms to help carry Walnut to Marona's house. _What in the hell happened to you?_ Ash wondered silently, reflecting on the day that the Chroma Oxide had disappeared from Ivoire...

* * *

**Begin Flashback****  
_End of Eternity: Island of Evil: Ivoire_**

"_For her sake, I will not fail. _**_Rising Dragon!_**" As Ash's yell faded away, it became clear that Sulfur had taken the full force of the attack. The Terror Demon was incredibly bloody, but he still showed no signs of slowing down. "This is taking _far_ too long!" Marona called, and Walnut sadly shook his head, not even bothering to argue. "It looks like we may have to force Sulfur through the portal," he mused, and the young Chroma sadly nodded. It was at that moment that Walnut made his decision, and he knew what he had to do. Abruptly, the Chroma Oxide turned and stared directly into Marona's eyes. "Take care of my sister, will you?" he asked, and she slowly nodded, puzzled by his actions. However, everything soon became crystal clear.

"SULFUR! You have caused enough pain and suffering for this generation. I **will** defeat you, even if it kills me!" he snapped at the monstrous being, his brown eyes shimmering with determination. Sulfur returned his glare with angry red eyes, clearly **unamused** with the concept that he could be beaten by mere humans. _Try me!_ Sulfur angrily responded, and Walnut crossed his hands over his chest, preparing to unleash his magic. Immediately, his hair began to whip around as if tossed in an unseen wind, and he was surrounded by a swirling red aura. As he roared the incantation, the aura surrounding him grew even brighter. "_Fire of battle, reveal my true heart! _**_Psycho Burgundy!_**" He then lashed out, knocking Sulfur backwards towards the portal. _If I'm going through, then you're coming with me, you pest!_ Sulfur thundered as he began to disappear into the Dimensional Gate. When only his eyes remained, the Terror Demon gave a hard psychic yank and dragged the blonde-haired Chroma Oxide through the portal, just before it vanished.

**End Flashback**

* * *

_While Ash and the others are busy moving Walnut, let's head to the northern portion of the island, where Saito and the others are arriving...  
**Following Saito&Co: Northern Beach: Phantom Isle: Ivoire**_

"All clear," Laharl called before stepping out of the Dimensional Gate. _Thank goodness there are no Bottlemails around,_ he thought with a shudder, and Saito mentally concurred. _You had a bad experience with them? Yup, and I do **not** want to repeat it!_ "Me neither, Overlord," Saito reponded as he emerged, followed shortly by the rest of the group. Once everyone had arrived, Saito closed the Dimensional Gate before issuing orders. "Spread out and search for anything unusual. Laharl and I will be waiting here."

_Five minutes later..._

Etna's younger brother was the first one to return. "Saito, I have good news and bad news." "...Give me the bad news first, Aramis." "Well, it appears that Sulfur really _has_ returned to this place. However, he unwittingly dragged along the man who sealed him away last time." "Really?" Laharl asked, and the Zombie Master nodded. "Then again, he was badly injured, and it appears that his chances for survival are slim-to-none if he does not receive immediate medical attention." The Oricaltos pondered this for a few moments, and then asked a rather blunt question. "Where is he?" Aramis shrugged casually. "My guess is that he is being treated in the house south of here." The hybrid looked at the Overlord and then nodded, issuing a silent command. _Send Maria to join us as soon as she returns. Yes sir._ "Aramis? Show me the way."

* * *

_**Bedroom: Second Floor: Marona's House: Phantom Isle**_

"ASH! Where are all of the healers?" "Don't you remember? You sent them to the Isle of Healing Waters so that they could get a break." Marona closed her eyes before putting her head in her hands. "Then there is no hope left for him..." she whispered, not expecting a reply. Thus, she was quite shocked when she received one. "Actually, there _is_ hope, just from an entirely different direction," a voice called from the doorway, causing both the Chroma and the Phantom to turn and stare slack-jawed at the man who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Ash narrowed his eyes before sliding protectively between Marona and the newcomer, and in response, the figure shrugged before spreading his hands, indicating that he was unarmed. "I didn't come here looking for a fight." "Then exactly **why** are you here?" Ash demanded. The man's face grew serious. "I am a healer in more ways than you would probably be willing to believe, Phantom. I just came to make certain that the Chroma Oxide survives." Marona froze for a few seconds, but then her eyes hardened. "How can I be sure that your intentions aren't hostile?" she snapped, and the man sighed in exasperation before sadly shaking his head. "If I had wanted to kill you, then you would never have seen me. Anyways, I came here with a certain _friend_ of yours." "Who are you talking about?" Ash asked, remaining wary of the man, and the hybrid sighed once. "The Overlord known as Laharl Krichevskoy."

Marona's eyes grew wide at the mention of the Overlord's name before her jaw dropped in amazement. "You mean that Laharl is still the Overlord after all these years?" she asked, and the auburn-haired man nodded. "Sorry for the late introduction, but my name is Saito Onago, and my companion here," he added, gesturing towards the Zombie Master, "is Etna's younger brother, Aramis." Marona curtsied before raising worried eyes to the mage. "My name is Marona, and the Phantom is my guardian, Ash." "Then **that** must be Walnut, the Chroma Oxide," Aramis responded, gesturing towards the bedridden man, and Ash nodded silently before giving Aramis a rather strange look. "If you're Etna's kid brother, then why is your hair color so radically different?" "I'm afraid that the explanation will have to wait, Ash," Saito stated. "Right now, however, we only have **one** priority: we need to make sure that Walnut survives." "Agreed," Marona called before bending over the prone figure and preparing to cast one of her healing spells. However, she paused when the Oricaltos raised a hand. "Don't do that, at least until I'm sure that he hasn't been cursed."

Marona was rather puzzled by this statement. "Cursed? What do you mean?" she asked, allowing her curiosity to get the best of her. Saito shook his head before beckoning the young Chroma to come closer. He then showed her the small mark on the inside of Walnut's right wrist. It resembled a small hexagon with a six-pointed star in the center of it. "Just as I expected. It's a Reverse Healing Curse," he muttered, and Aramis nearly swore aloud. "Do you think you can remove it?" he asked cautiously, and the hybrid slowly nodded. "It shouldn't be _too_ hard. I just need to concentrate on it." At that point, Marona interrupted. "Um, what do you mean by a 'Reverse Healing Curse'?" she asked curiously, and Aramis answered without raising his head. "What it means is that normal healing spells will have the opposite effect as long as the curse remains." "Oh..." They were both distracted by the light coming from between Saito's hands, but it soon died down as the curse mark disappeared. Maria walked in at that precise moment, and the hybrid gave his cleric (and Marona) a short nod, indicating that he was finished for the time being.

"_Espoir_," Maria called softly, watching as the poison on the man's skin vanished. However, no matter how many times Marona cast _Giga Heal_, Walnut's wounds refused to close. The young Chroma looked to the mage, her eyes pleading for the hybrid to help her. Saito obliged by reaching out with his mind and running a quick scan of the Oxide's blood. What he found there caused him to swear aloud. "Dammit!" "What's wrong with him?" Marona asked, and Saito responded with his chilling observation. "Apparently, there is an unusually large concentration of sulfuric acid running through his veins." To say the least, Marona and the others were horrified. "Is there anything that I can do to help him?" she timidly asked, and Saito reluctantly shook his head. "I don't know, but I am **not** just going to sit here and watch this man die!" the Oricaltos snapped as he extended his right hand towards the Chroma Oxide. _I really hope that this idea of mine works..._ "_Brisingir,_" the mage whispered, watching as the healing blue flames leaped from his palm to the open wounds covering Walnut's body. Unfortunately, Saito was _not_ prepared when the man's brown eyes shot open in pain.

_YOUCH! What in the hell is going on here? You were badly injured when you arrived. If it hadn't been for our intervention..._ The Chroma Oxide closed his eyes and shuddered violently. _Where...am I? You are currently in Marona's house on Phantom Isle. Phantom Isle? You mean that I am back in Ivoire? Yes._ Walnut sighed heavily before opening his eyes and looking around the room. He smiled weakly upon seeing Marona and Ash, but then his eyes continued to wander. Eventually, they settled on the auburn-haired young man at the foot of the bed. "Who...are...you?" he managed to gasp out, and the man smiled. "My name is Saito Onago, and I am not here to do you any harm." There was a long pause, and then Walnut spoke again. "Why...does it feel...like my veins...are on fire?" he rasped, and Saito's eyes creased slightly. "I think that might be due to the amount of sulfuric acid that the Terror Demon dumped into your bloodstream, but I'm working on changing that," Saito muttered, his brow furrowing in concentration. "What...are you?" the Oxide asked, and the hybrid shook his head briefly before replying. "I'll answer that question after you finish healing." "Okay..." Walnut softly rasped as he tried to relax on the bed.

There was a brilliant flash, and then the healing flames died down. The Oricaltos motioned for Marona to tyr her spell again, and she quickly obliged. "_Giga Heal!_" **This** time, the Oxide's wounds closed, and everyone visibly relaxed. "Well, I'm glad that it's finally done," Maria commented, not really expecting anyone to respond. However, everyone received a shock when another voice came from the doorway. "Oh my God! Is that actually...Walnut? I don't believe it!" "Neither did I, at least until I saw him for myself, Lady Sienna," the hybrid responded, turning and bowing to the slender, rose-haired woman standing in the doorway. "Or should I address you as Lady Scarlet, seeing as you **are** Scarlet the Brave, correct?" he asked, his eyes glittering merrily at seeing the stunned look on the face of Marona's landlady. She slowly nodded her head in amazement before responding. "It took Marona nearly four weeks to figure it out, and then **you** arrive and get it on the first try. I must say that I am _quite_ impressed." This prompted a wide grin from the mage, and he gave the woman a quick nod before responding. "However, before we start discussing what has to be done about Sulfur, I believe a few introductions are in order..."

* * *

_After taking the time to introduce himself (and the others, when they all arrived), Saito, Scarlet, Marona, and the other leaders sat down to discuss what could be done about the Terror Demon...  
**Kitchen: First Floor: Marona's House: Phantom Isle**_  
**Time: An hour has passed since the first introductions were made between Scarlet and Saito**

"Well, it's been confirmed: Sulfur is _definitely_ back in Ivoire," Laharl commented, prompting a strange look from Scarlet. "How are you so certain?" "We ran into a group of summons earlier, and our Overlord here got a kick out of destroying all of them in under five minutes," Etna replied, and Saito raised an eyebrow. "How many were there?" "Oh, I'd say that there were about twenty," Flonne answered after a moment of thought. Scarlet sadly shook her head before asking her next question. "Do we have any sort of clue as to the whereabouts of the wraith?" Alexander nodded. "We are currently pursuing several leads, but none of them are looking too promising at the moment..." he replied to the former Brave. However, before Scarlet could ask her next question, the pseudo-conference was interrupted when Sita staggered into the room, supporting a barely-conscious healer. Adell was instantly on his feet. "Sita! What happened to you?" "We got ambushed, Master Adell," she called weakly before falling to her knees. "That **thing** is on the Isle of Healing Waters." "What?" Marona asked, the shock in her voice clear. "Are you certain about that?" Her answer came from a rather unlikely source. "I'm not sure about her, but **I** am certain that Yamino is there," a voice called from the base of the stairs, prompting everyone to look over.

The man standing at the foot of the stairs was casually dressed in a burgundy shirt, a short white necktie, and white pants, belted at the waist. Over top of this, he was wearing a dark-blue trenchcoat. His long blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and his brown eyes were glittering with a look that the mage had not seen in **quite **a long time. There was murder in Walnut's eyes, and the Oricaltos instantly felt sorry for anything that would be forced to cross paths with the Chroma Oxide. Saito whistled lightly. "For a man who was hovering on the edge between life-and-death, you certainly made a quick recovery, Walnut," he commented, and the man briefly smiled at the mage before his eyes narrowed to slits. "That sorry bastard is going after my family, and I have a job to do." "Well, you aren't doing it alone," Marona chimed in, and everyone else nodded. Saito slowly rose to his feet before lazily stretching. "Alright, who wants to join me on a little _field-trip_ to the Isle of Healing Waters?" he asked casually, knowing that there would be no shortage of volunteers. He then settled down to pick exactly **who else** would be accompanying him, besides Marona, Ash, Walnut, and Scarlet.

* * *

**Author's Note2:** Well, it looks like another chapter is done for the time being. Still, what awaits Walnut, Saito and the others upon their arrival on the Isle of Healing Waters? Who exactly is Walnut's sister? And what in the hell is Yamino? Things are gonna get a _little_ hectic once they arrive, and lemme tell ya, it's gonna be anything **but** pretty. Stick around for my next chapter, **Of Witches and Wraiths**. As always, please remember to both read and review. Thank you. 


	11. Notice

The administrators of are as of June 4th going to be taking down Fics that have lemons or have extreme violence. Now I don't know about you but I think thats stupid. There are many wonderful fics that only have one or two lemons in them yet the plot itself is awesome! You can't just take down a 100,000+ word fic just because it has a lemon in a chapter that is only 1000 words long. Now I urge you all to read the petition below, sign it, and repost this to your own fics. Hopefully if we make enough noise everything will return to normal. Thank you.

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

Myself, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

Psudocode_Samurai  
Rocketman1728  
dracohalo117  
VFSNAKE  
Agato the Venom Host  
Jay Frost  
SamCrow  
Blood Brandy  
Dusk666  
Hisea Ori  
The Dark Graven  
BlackRevenant  
Lord Orion Salazar Black  
Sakusha Saelbu  
Horocrux  
socras01  
Kumo no Makoto  
Biskoff  
Korraganitar the NightShadow  
NightInk  
Lazruth  
ragnrock kyuubi  
SpiritWriterXXX  
Ace6151  
FleeingReality  
Harufu  
Exiled crow  
Slifer1988  
Dee Laynter  
Angeldoctor  
Final Black Getsuga  
ZamielRaizunto  
Fenris187  
blood enraged  
arashiXnoXkami  
tstoldt  
Mystic 6 tailed Naruto  
ElementalMaster16  
Dark Vizard447  
Darth Void Sage of the Force  
Shiso no Kitsune  
The Sinful  
Kage640  
Ihateheroes  
swords of twilight  
Kyuubi16  
darthkamon  
narutodragon  
bunji the wolf  
Cjonwalrus  
Killjoy3000  
blueexorist  
White Whiskey  
Ying the Nine Tail Fox  
Gin of the wicked smile  
tstoldt  
The wolf god Fenri  
JazzyJ09  
sleepers4u  
The Unknown 007  
Gallantmon228  
MKTerra  
Gunbladez19  
Forgottenkami  
RHatch89  
SoulKingonCrack  
Dreadman75  
Knives91  
The Lemon Sage  
Dark Spidey  
VioletTragedies  
Eon The Cat of Shadows  
kazikamikaze24  
animegamemaster6  
LLOYDROCKS  
demented-squirrel  
swords of dawn  
The Immoral Flame  
blueexorist  
Challenger  
Shywhitefox  
drp83  
Bethrezen  
Dragon6  
bellxross  
unweymexicano  
The First Kitsukage  
kingdom219  
brown phantom  
littleking9512  
kurokamiDG  
Auumaan  
FrancineBlossom  
BDG420  
Her Dark Poet  
bloodrosepsycho  
Shen an Calhar  
NarutoMasterSage4040  
Masamune X23  
Kuromoki  
Sliver Lynx  
devilzxknight86  
Unis Crimson  
Zero X Limit

reven228  
JAKdaRIPPER  
Third Fang  
IRAssault  
Grumpywinter  
absolutezero001  
Single Silver Eye  
animekingmike  
Daniel Lynx  
zerohour20xx  
Darth Drafter  
arturus  
Iseal  
Shisarakage  
Uzunaru999  
Dark-Knight  
fearme80  
Devilsummoner666  
slicerness  
Toa Naruto  
Soleneus  
kagedoragon  
dansama92  
KamenRiderNexus  
Captive Crimson  
KyuubiiLover27  
MozillaEverer  
4rm36uy  
ebm6969  
Repiece  
phantomshadowdragon  
Colonel Eagle  
Timothy1988  
ShadowZenith  
awsm125  
The Purple Critic  
Darkepyon  
Zombyra  
brickster409  
ChaosSonic1  
Leaf Ranger  
SoulEmbrace2010  
Oni Shin  
Silverknight17  
Specter637  
HunterBerserkerWolf  
shadow-red0  
The Roaming Shadow  
bucketbot  
AvalonNakamura  
Avacii  
Maxwell Gray  
Silvdra-zero  
Arashi walker  
Lord of Daemons  
Lord Anime  
CloudRed1988  
forestscout  
The Lost Mana  
Red Warrior of Light  
TUAOA MORRISTOFOX  
Mr. Alaska  
Swagnilla-Ice-1985  
MugetsuIchigo  
bloodlust002  
Nerverean  
Kage Biju  
JK10  
OBSERVER01  
MistressWinowyll  
Count Kulalu  
ronin504  
ted009  
Ralmidaz  
lederra  
Time Hollow  
fg7dragon  
Blade1986


End file.
